Vexing Crimson
by jjhatter
Summary: The past has an annoying habit of coming back to haunt you. Better summary inside; includes OCs created by authors Cryssy-miu and gothicorca1895, USED WITH PERMISSION! Please Read and Review! RATING RAISED...for now.
1. Chapter 1

Welcome, readers and derangers! Firstly, let me point out that this is my first venture into fanfiction for the universe of _Kung Fu Panda_, so, please, be nice with any reviews you leave! Now, before the story can begin, a few boring things must be covered...

Rating: K+ (may be raised. _Maybe.)_

Disclaimers: As if it were not obvious, I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING RELATED TO _KUNG FU PANDA._ The rights to that go to Dreamworks, and any person there that worked on the films. Also, this story is FILLED with OC's...most of which are not my own. The rights for the OC characters Kurisu, Lanying, Giao Xun, and the names used for certain canon characters (the Wolf Boss, the Soothsayer, etc.), all belong to authors Cryssy-miu and gothicorca1895. **I AM USING THESE CHARACTERS WITH PERMISSION, SO **_**DON'T**_** SUE ME, **_**PLEASE!**_ This story is also not canon with either of their works, other than being placed after one of their stories for setting purposes, unless they, themselves, decide otherwise. Some of the OC's here ARE mine, however...including our main villain, who shall be revealed in this chapter.

Summary: The past has a nasty habit of coming back to haunt you. When a mysterious foe, with dark ties to the past of a very certain member of the Jade Palace, steals cannons from the factory in Gongmen, China's greatest are thrust into a battle with an enemy unlike any they've known. How do you deal with an enemy whose only real goal is to cause mayhem? Takes place after gothicorca1895's story, _The Great Escape._

Notes: For those who do not know me well already, I have a genuine obsession with the _Alice_ stories by Lewis Carroll. I plan for there to be precisely three references to the stories at this point in here, and no more; one is a character's name (our villain), the other two appear in this very chapter...but with my mind the way it is, don't be surprised if you encounter more. My apologies, if necessary.

Now, on with the show!

**Chapter I: An Unbelievable Beginning**

_Tapk, tapk, tapk, tapk..._

A short, hunched figure, leaning on a gnarled wooden cane, enters her room with a sigh. She is an old woman...

Well...technically, she's an old goat.

Literally.

She is, really, a very old lady goat...a long, white beard trails down from her white furred chin. Ivory-toned horns curl out and spread from the sides of her head, and her aged, wise eyes glimmer with knowledge. She wears a multitude of robes, in colors ranging from purple, to red, to green, with each one over the other.

Her name is Min Yun, but most simply call her the Soothsayer.

A few call her "Nana."

She sighs again; her chick had been having trouble.

Nothing new.

It was strange, she thought; so prone to illness and weakness, yet always out to prove himself strong. His pride and stubbornness were both a curse and a blessing, for the same reasons: they made him a dangerous opponent, a determined and steadfast person, and, she had to confess, a good leader.

Well...at least recently, with the last.

Her "chick" was, in fact, the infamous peacock warlord, Sheng Li, known more commonly as the villainous Lord Shen. Few knew him to be Master Shen and/or Master Sheng Li now, a member of the Jade Palace warriors in the Valley of Peace, equal to the Furious Five and the famed Dragon Warrior himself in skill.

She smirked slightly; the latter of these two wasn't very surprising.

She didn't know why, but the night's events were reminding her of the past, and she had to think back on them. Not so long ago, her precious chick was public enemy number one. A confessed madman, out to right the wrongs committed to him as a prince of Gongmen City. Born albino, Sheng Li was neglected by his parents, and shunned by many. From childhood, he had experienced psychological problems, including vivid hallucinations and horrendous nightmares. He was also prone to panic attacks and various sorts of ailments. Not expected to live past a young age, he was ignored by almost everyone he knew, and, as time went on, his inner turmoil bubbled and frothed into a dark, boiling rage of total, murderous insanity. His crimes during this time included: supposedly murdering his only real friend, a wolf guard named Xun; trying to retake his throne in Gongmen City by using an assortment of deadly cannons; and, most famously, decimating an entire village of pandas, after the Soothsayer herself had predicted he would one day meet opposition in the form of a Warrior of Black and White. Eventually, this same warrior – a remarkably laid-back panda, who just happened to be the great Dragon Warrior, name Po – defeated Shen, and the demented peacock was believed to have died when one of his own cannons fell on him, and sank his flagship into the sea.

This belief proved false.

For an immeasurable amount of time, Min Yun's chick plotted his vengeance. He eventually attempted a raid on the Jade Palace, but was caught in the act by a Palace student: a kitten, with midnight blue fur, dressed in robes of orange, named Kurisu. Kurisu, born in Japan, had been effectively adopted by Po and his goose father, Mr. Ping (Po was also adopted, needless to say), after a group of shadowy assassins had murdered her family and destroyed her home. Shen had initially meant to hold her hostage...but his plans quickly changed.

Kurisu, oddly and inexplicably, had wormed her way into Shen's heart...a time that still made the Soothsayer chuckle. It had been so long by then that she'd seen him smile with anything other than homicidal mania...let alone laugh, and play. When he was around the kitten, he was like the child he could have once been, if fate had given him a chance.

He loved the kitten. She was his sister, his pet, his cousin, his playmate...almost everything. This, and the small fact he eventually saved the Valley of Peace, helped ensure him acceptance as a Kung Fu Master in the Jade Palace.

The Soothsayer, of course, was invited in as well.

Shortly after, a few more new faces joined them: first came Xun, the once-hated and feared Wolf Boss of Lord Shen's army, who had survived his brush with death, and vowed to turn over a new leaf. Then came Lady Biming, the (at least for now) suspected lone survivor of the peacock's fabled extermination of the panda village, who was also Po's mother. She, along with the Soothsayer, had been one of the few people to actually care for the young would-be-lord as a chick. She was now a healer in the Palace.

Then came Lanying.

Shen had met her on a mission to Gongmen; he was instructed by the masters Storming Ox and Croc to return to his ancestral home to build cannons, not unlike the ones he had once used to try and kill them, ironically, to help defend the city. While there, he had run into a bit of trouble (to say the least) with a murderous bird called Lady Xuilan, who wanted to claim the palace of Gongmen, which was being rebuilt, even as she thought, as her own. The masters had called upon a family of peafowl from another land, all diplomats, to help with the situation, the Xifengs. Lanying, their lone daughter, had suffered from panic attacks since childhood, and been raised as a recluse, locked in a room and kept away from living contact for years. Shen had taken pity upon her, intending to fake a marriage to her to get her out of the house and help her with her condition, since the attacks could not be cured (he would know; he had them, too).

The results of this attempted charity case were unexpected by all. (Except for herself; she saw them in her bowl.)

Shen and Lanying had fallen in love.

Both were now happily married, living in the Jade Palace until a more suitable home for the two of them could be established in the Valley.

She sighed a third time; Lanying was the reason she was up now. The poor dear had had another panic attack, and, to make matters worse, Shen was having one at the same time. It was morbidly funny, and definitely disturbing. With help from Lady Biming, she had been able to calm them both and settle them back into sleep. Kurisu was now sleeping with them both; she didn't particularly care for Lanying – cats are possessive – but even the kitten could tell Shen needed her, just as much as he needed Kurisu-

Her nostalgia and worry shifted suddenly, changing into a deeper, darker feeling, and something stirred in her heart. She frowned.

_Something's...wrong._

She turned to her bowl on the floor.

Her instincts had never been wrong before.

She bit her lip, not sure if this sudden desire to seek the future was really a good one.

Probably not...but what real choice did she have?

With more caution than usual, she took up her bowl...

Elsewhere, a lone figure grinned ferociously at the cannon factory before him.

_Tapk, tapk, tapk, tapk..._

He carried a cane, topped with a golden head in the shape of a dragon's head, carved from thick, elegant wood, with swirling designs of flames coiling along its length like a serpent. The figure wore a red jacket with tails, which was kept unbuttoned, with images of golden flames on his shoulders and cuffs. He wore black boots and black silk pants, held up by a simple hemp rope. On his jacket lapel was the image of a panther's claws. His chest was bare, revealing black fur, and his paws half-concealed retractable, razor-sharp claws. His eyes were blood red, and they, like his smile, hinted at more than a dash of madness. He had the black ears and long whiskers of a feline, the fangs in his gums and the swishing tail behind him making this all the more clear.

Upon his head was a tall, black top hat, with a red leather hatband.

The panther moved on, twirling his cane with every second step, looking as if he had not a care in the world. He appeared to be alone...at least, that was what Master Croc thought as he stared at the figure approaching.

"Ox!" he called. "Come here!"

Storming Ox descended the factory stairs in a flash, and stood beside his friend and fellow master.

"Who's that?" he whispered.

"No clue...but I don't think he's here on a friendly visit."

Ox nodded.

"Halt!" he called.

The figure obeyed. He was only about five yards away.

"Gentlemen," purred the panther in a casual greeting. He had a distinct foreign accent...

_Japanese, no doubt._

"You are not welcome here; only Kung Fu Masters may enter this factory. Civilians are forbidden."

"Then I suppose that means I'm allowed entry?"

Ox glared doubtfully.

"Only Kung Fu Masters who are _real_, and _welcome,_ may enter."

The panther yawned, bored, and checked his claws, leaning on his cane.

"Well, then it's a pity that I cannot leave just yet...my own master demands I enter this factory and bring him a little souvenir of this visit."

Croc eyed him suspiciously.

"What 'master'?"

The panther smiled even wider, his eyes shining in the shadow of his hat.

"Giao Xun."

The eyes of the ox and the crocodile widened, and then narrowed again. Ox lowered into a charging position, hooves/fists clenched, and Croc bared his teeth.

"The name of Giao Xun marks you as an enemy. Leave now, or we shall be forced to-"

"You will not be 'forcing' me to do anything, _masters,_" growled the panther, tilting his hat slightly over his scarlet eyes. "The fact of the matter is that I _am_ here to get a cannon, and I _will_ be completing that job, and nothing, not you nor anything else, is going to keep me from fulfilling my mission. It is as much a personal matter as an errand for my superior."

"All the more reason for us to keep you out," snarled Croc. Ox snorted in agreement.

The panther just smiled.

"By all means, try," he purred, and spread out his arms, as if in welcome.

_Oh, he's asking for it now..._

"Go."

"Sorry. The time for negotiation has passed," hissed the panther, smirking. "If you want me to leave, then go on...come here. Kill me if you must. I will not be making a live exit empty-handed."

Storming Ox needed no more persuasion; he charged forward, horns leveled with the shady panther's chest. The cat did not move a muscle, did not budge an inch...

Exactly six inches between himself and Master Ox's horns later, the panther flipped into the air, leaping over the master's head, and brought his cane down near the base of his neck.

Master Croc stared in disbelief as Storming Ox fell, brought down by a strike to a very special pressure point.

The panther sneered at the ox, and sniffed.

"Really? Is that all? I'd expected so much more..."

Enraged, Master Croc pounced. The panther moved to the side, and was brought to the ground by the lashing tail of the reptilian warrior. Before he could be struck again, the panther was on his feet, laughing hysterically as he jumped onto the face of his opponent, and leapt off again. Furious, Croc turned, jaws open...

A cane jabbed him in the eye, and, before he could react (which, by the way, would have taken less time than a lighting bolt to strike), he felt paralysis take over him as a pressure point was touched by a claw.

The panther stared down at the fallen masters with a smug smirk.

_Pathetic old brutes,_ he thought darkly. _Didn't anyone teach them not to judge books by their covers?_

"Boys!" he called out. "As a walrus acquaintance of mine famously said, 'the time has come.' You know exactly what to do."

Out of nowhere, hordes of panthers, wearing masks that concealed all but their red eyes, all wearing red vests with panther claws on their chests, jumped into view; out of trees, from behind walls, from the back of the building. They threw down guards, knives embedded in them, as they moved, storming into the factory.

The panther, Maddohatta, grinned as he watched his men work.

_So begins the fall of China..._

The Soothsayer gasped in horror, falling over, her cane rattling away from her grip.

Out from her bowl rose a frightful apparition: the flaming head of a great, black cat. It snarled and laughed, and in her chest she could feel a sense of rage and rolling insanity, a blanket of treachery and bloodshed and cruelty.

With a shudder, she realized these feelings were not unlike the ones from a different vision, that one of a great black bird, many years ago...a vision that haunted all in the Palace...

The cat roared, and then vanished in a flash of light, leaving only a smoky smile, which also vanished within time.

The Soothsayer stared at her bowl with terrified puzzlement.

For once, she had no real clue as to _what_ she saw, but she knew one thing: it could not be good at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: Kurisu and Lanying haven't got much of a role yet...fear not, they'll become much more important – especially the kitten – as this tale goes on.

**Chapter II: Awakening to a Nightmare**

The warm glow of the Sun spread across the Valley of Peace, like a golden blanket of heat, life, and light. The spreading glow seemed to control the village of the valley; as the Sun's rays peeked through their windows, merchants almost instantly opened up their shops, and people seemed to immediately leave their homes for the daily work and shopping.

The glow crawled leisurely across the valley, like a yellow lizard just waking up, and soon climbed the thousand steps of the Jade Palace. Step by step, the great stairway was illuminated, as if the light itself had difficulty climbing the steps.

The instant it peeked over the steps and shed its light on the magnificent Jade Palace itself…

"STUDENTS!"

"GOOD MORNING, MASTER."

Grandmaster Shifu nodded curtly, his keen eyes inspecting the students before him, standing at attention, erect and alert. The red panda smiled slightly, but it was gone in a flash.

"Where is Master Shen?"

"Late," came a voice.

Shifu glanced up to see who it was.

Sheng Li staggered around a corner, and moved into view, racing as fast as he could. The white, black, and red patterns of his feathers were semi-shrouded by his simple hemp robe – he had long forsworn silk – and his breath came out in gasps from his dark beak. He bowed with less grace than usual, red eyes closing reverently.

Right behind him, a blue feline in orange robes dashed forward. She tripped, falling on her face, then stood and moved forward again, bowing.

"M-my apologies, Grandmaster," the peacock warbled. "I was not well, and-"

"Sorry we're late!" Kurisu interrupted, speaking very fast. "Shen got really, really sick…he was all screamish and was crying and shivering. And so was his girl! Nana tried to calm them down, and Lady Biming helped, too, and I tried, but got pushed away, and tried again, and got pushed away…again, and finally I just lay down, and…"

"Under any other circumstances," the red panda said sharply, cutting off her words, "I would have you both in conditioning for the rest of the day. However, it is not training I want you for, Sheng Li."

Shen looked at him curiously.

Shifu whet his lips, and glanced up at Master Tigress, who met his gaze evenly.

"All but Shen take to the obstacle course. After a run through each level, come back and report to me."

The Furious Five bowed, and exited.

Another, smaller figure tried to follow…but found her tail caught on the pronged tip of Shifu's staff.

"Kurisu! Not you."

"But, you said-"

"All but Shen…and yourself. Find the panda; he owes me a lap across the thousand steps."

Kurisu sighed, and ran out of the palace, waving goodbye to Shen as she left

The peacock's beaky lips turned up in a smirk, and lifted a wing/hand in like.

Shifu chuckled.

"Such energy…she's a fine student, although I would never tell her."

"What did you want to speak to me about, Master?"

Shifu looked the peafowl up and down for a moment.

"The cannon factory in Gongmen was attacked last night."

There was silence.

"…What?" Shen almost choked.

"All the guards were killed…whoever it was was skilled enough to incapacitate Masters Storming Ox and Croc."

Shen blinked.

"If you are insinuating I had something to do with it, I was here. There are more than enough people present to testify to that."

"I am not blaming you," Shifu said. "I am assigning you: prepare for another trip to Gongmen City. Anyone interested in your work is beyond dangerous, for all of China."

Shen said nothing, trying to sort out the meaning in Shifu's words.

_Anyone interested "in my work…"_

"Do we know who did it?"

"Not exactly, no," Shifu said, grudgingly, suddenly appearing discomforted. "But we know who they did it _for."_

Shen cocked his head to one side, feathers quivering, waiting for more.

"He calls himself Giao Xun," Shifu said shortly. "A martial artist whose evil rivals…or rivaled…Tai Lung. Robbery, mass murder…all the same to him. No sense of honor."

"You sound as if you know him well."

"He was a student of Master Oogway…a student who went wrong."

The finality in Shifu's words was clear; the discussion was over.

"Master Storming Ox and Master Croc are looking into it," he said. "Is there anyone or anything else you want me to send with you?"

"Four people."

Shifu sighed.

"I think I know who," he said softly. "The Soothsayer is the first, isn't she?"

"Yes; Nana has always been at my side. I'm sure she'll be of help, morally if in no other way."

"Fair enough. Would Xun be the next?"

"He'd come after me anyway," Shen said with a shrug.

Shifu nodded.

"That makes the third Ms. Xifeng?"

Shen smiled and bowed. Lanying had kept her maiden name, despite their marriage…but he really did not mind.

"I do not want to leave Lady Biming to care for her alone," he said. "She'll have her work cut out as it is between yourself, the panda, and…others."

Shifu just nodded again.

"And the fourth is the kitten?"

Shen nodded gravely.

"Itty Bitty Kitty must go with me," he said, the odd nickname sounding strangely somber. "I cannot go without her…a return to Gongmen was bad enough twice. This third one may prove even worse."

Shifu studied him, and agreed.

"Very well," he said curtly. "They will join you. Ready yourself."

Shen bowed.

"My thanks, Master," he said, and turned away, heading back to his room.

He scowled to himself thoughtfully.

The Soothsayer watched him go by curiously.

"Shen?"

The peacock turned and smiled softly.

"Nana," he said in greeting, and then frowned once more. "Are you okay? You look…unwell."

The Soothsayer sighed; she stood even more stooped than usual, her eyes shadowed and baggy.

"I'm all right," she said. "Just…tired."

"What's the matter?"

She shivered.

"A…vision I had last night."

Shen took a step back toward her.

"What was it of?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"It was…a cat. A large, black…angry cat. It…it shrieked, and it laughed…I'm not sure what it meant…"

Shen's eyes widened.

"You don't know? At all?"

"No…that's what worries me. I've had visions I couldn't fully understand before, but then I at least knew who they pertained to. I don't know to who, what, or when this vision will be of concern."

Shen sighed.

"I think I do," he said softly. "The cannon factory was attacked. The intruder managed to defeat Storming Ox and Croc."

Min Yu stared.

"Are you going back to the city?"

It was more of a statement than a question. Shen nodded.

"Grandmaster Shifu has granted me permission to take you with me…if you want to come."

The old goat grinned.

"You know I do."

"You aren't leaving me out this time!"

Both turned their heads as Kurisu came bounding down the hallway.

"I'm going with you, right?" she asked, hopefully.

Shen chuckled.

"Yes, Itty Bitty Kitty…you can come, too. You'd probably follow me even if I said otherwise…"

"Who else is coming?"

"Well, Xun…"

"Oh, good!" Kurisu said with a grin.

"And Lanying."

Kurisu's smile vanished.

"Why?" she mewed.

"Because I love her, kitten," Shen replied rolling his eyes. "I'm not leaving her here unless she wants to stay."

The kitten glared.

_Please, have her say no…please, have her say no…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III: Ominous Thoughts**

Sheng Li stepped out of the carriage, face pulled taut, crest feathers back, eyes and beak opened wide in shock. Xun, who had joined him, stepped out of the carriage behind him. The gray wolf had a similar expression, his ever-bedraggled fur and dark eyepatch only diminishing the effect somewhat.

The cannon factory had been burned completely to the ground. The bits of splintered and burned timber and broken, twisted metal lay scattered around, most of it piled into a great hill of destruction. The smoke had long cleared away; it had been a few days worth of travelling to arrive to Gongmen City, and Shen had decided to gain lodgings for his party before anything else. He had made sure to put himself and Lanying in the same room, with Nana and his Itty Bitty Kitty sharing another, while Xun – a little too excitedly – got a room of his own. He had asked the three ladies to stay behind while he inspected the damage. The Soothsayer had hesitated, but agreed, while Lanying only nodded. Kurisu had been the only one to protest...

"I want to see the factory!" she had mewed in complaint, clutching his cloak like a teddy bear.

He almost snorted; it appeared she wouldn't have had much to look forward to if he had agreed.

"Whoa," was all Xun could say.

"Agreed...whoa."

"...Looks even worse than the Tower of Sacred Flame, after you...er..."

"Believe it or not, I think you are right..."

"Master Shen!"

The peacock turned to see Storming Ox and Croc approaching him.

"You made good time getting here," rumbled Ox.

"Not as good as I could have," Shen said, staring once more at the charred rubble.

Ox and Croc shrugged.

"What in the world...or out of this world...happened here?" Xun asked, scratching his head.

"Some madman in a top hat and tails...not counting his own tail. He was some sort of wildcat, a panther, or a jaguar..."

"He claimed he was here to get a 'souvenir,'" Croc snarled. "Specifically, a cannon..."

"And did he get one?" Shen asked.

Xun rolled his eyes.

"No, Shen, he just killed the guards and burned down the factory for kicks," he growled. "My guess would be yes, he got a cannon."

"Your...wolf friend..."

"Xun."

"Xun...may be trying to amuse us..."

"And none to well..."

"Hey!"

"But he is nonetheless correct; the cat in the hat got what he came for...and more."

Shen's red eyes narrowed.

"How much more?"

Ox crossed his arms.

"That's the strangest part of all; not much. He took the cannon, a single box of ammunition, and a few of the designs you left us for the new defenses, before you left us."

Shen blinked.

"And?" he and Xun urged in chorus.

"Well...that's it."

"Really?"

"Really."

Shen fell silent, a feathery finger to his chin as he thought.

"Interesting..."

"We made the supposition that he might be meaning to sell them, but it doesn't seem likely from what we've learned..."

"What have you learned?"

The two masters looked at each other and then turned back to him.

"First of all, he told us he served Giao Xun..."

"The murderous martial artist and renegade student of the late Grandmaster Oogway. Master Shifu informed me of that."

Croc and Ox both raised an eyebrow.

"Did Shifu tell you that, when he was just a young student, Giao Xun nearly killed him in a fight?"

Shen gaped.

"Well...no, Master Ox, I must admit he did not."

"This guy nearly killed Shifu?" Xun asked, incredulous.

"The keyword being killed...past tense. Perhaps if they were to meet up again..."

Ox trailed off.

"We also know that we're dealing with someone who probably isn't in this for money," Croc said. "While you were on your way here, we did a little...research..."

"What else can you tell me, then?"

Croc glanced at Ox and coughed. The great master sighed deeply, and clapped his hands. A servant – a duck – waddled up, a scroll in one hand. He glanced nervously at Shen and Xun.

Shen felt his heart sink just a bit; he had hoped a third visit might elicit less confused and worried stares, but it only seemed to have generated more. The duck made the fifteenth person he'd caught looking that way today...he'd counted quite precisely.

Xun just bared his teeth in what was meant to be a smile, although the look in his eyes told Shen he felt equally uncomfortable.

The duck gulped.

"This painting was made in Japan."

"Japan?"

"Painting?"

"The cat spoke with a Japanese accent...we thought it was the best lead to start with. And this is what is called 'an artist's depiction.' Tang? Unroll it."

The duck nodded and unrolled the scroll.

Shen shuddered slightly. While Xun glared at it.

The image was of a great, black panther, dressed in blood-colored clothes and a dark, tall top hat. The cat's eyes were glowing red, and smoke was in the background. He held a knife in one paw, standing, posed in a menacing, victorious manner upon a mountain of skulls, namely those of other cats. He held a skull in one hand, his mouth pulled back in a vicious grin, revealing a set of deadly fangs.

"Very theatrical," Shen muttered.

"It isn't an exaggeration," Croc said grimly. "At least, not likely...not after we saw, and what we found out."

"Who is he?"

"He calls himself Maddohatta..."

"Maddie what-a?"

"Maddohatta," Shen said slowly, enunciating the words carefully.

"Yes; he's an assassin and thief, apparently trained and/or employed by Giao...although what for we know not."

"It seems unlikely this robbery is all they had planned," Ox said. "Especially after stealing so little..."

"Little can be large," Shen said, speaking from experience. "With those designs, that cannon, and that box of shells, I can think of a few nefarious things this...Maddohatta could be planning."

"Besides selling them?"

"Yes...and I have to agree that that is the least likely one. I'd think he'd be planning to recreate them for his own use; those designs, coupled with a physical model and the ammunition 'samples,' he could quickly learn how to put cannons of his own together, and, with enough metal and people to make them, he could create quite a few...I did."

"Now why couldn't we have worked that out?" lowed Ox, turning to Croc, who shrugged.

"Well, I don't really take this guy seriously myself," growled Xun. "I mean, what kind of name is that? 'Maddohatta?' What does it mean?"

"If Kurisu's lessons in Japanese serve me right," Shen said calmly, "It means Mad Hatter."

"Mad what?"

"Mad Hatter; I believe it's a character in a storybook somewhere...although to my knowledge, it isn't one available here in China, and I'm not sure about Japan..."

"So, this guy's been around?"

Shen nodded.

"He works for cheap," Croc said. "And, from what we've learned, his name suits him well; he's just as mad as any hatter. Schizophrenia, megalomania, sadism, narcissism, psychosis, delusions...even a bout of cannibalism from time to time. You name it, he probably has it."

"Hah. Sounds even worse than you, back in the day," Xun smirked at Shen.

The peacock glared at him sharply, and Xun fell silent.

"Jeeze, lighten up..." he mumbled.

"May I borrow that painting, Masters?"

"Yes, of course."

Tang the duck rolled up the painting and handed it over to Sheng Li, who tucked it under his arm.

"Is that all?"

"Yes; we haven't heard any reports of him being anywhere in Gongmen, but we suspect this isn't the last we've heard of this 'Maddohatta,' or Giao Xun."

"Very well; would it be possible for someone to send message of this panther to Grandmaster Shifu?"

"Tang?" Ox rumbled.

The duck nodded, and hurriedly trundled away.

"Tang will get the word to Shifu in less time than it would take you to get here," Ox said.

"He's never let us down yet," added Croc.

Shen nodded, and bowed low.

"I shall remain in Gongmen for a few more days, in case of trouble from this...er...Mad Hatter."

Without another word, Shen turned around and headed back to the carriage.

Xun and the other two masters watched him. All three looked at each other.

The gray wolf shrugged.

"What can I say? He seems as mercurial as any milliner to me," chuckled to wolf, and followed his friend as the two Kung Fu masters frowned slightly and turned to oversee the cleanup of the bodies and rubble.

"All right, bird-brain," snarled Xun softly. "What's on your mind?"

"This painting," Shen said, unrolling it and looking upon it as the sheep-toted carriage rattled along, back to the inn where he and his "crew" were staying. "Nana told me she had had a vision of a black cat, with a deadly smile, surrounded by flames..."

Xun stared, and looked at the painting, noting the smoke and the panther's twisted expression.

"You think it was a warning about this guy?"

Shen nodded faintly.

_Cannons, two masters defeated, insanity...why do I feel like I'm looking at my reflection...?_

_ I don't know you, but I know you're up to something, "Maddohatta."_

_ And, for my repaired conscience's sake, I WILL stop you._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: "Should You Choose To Accept It..."**

Lanying Xifeng was hard at work. Her pale brown, paint-stained robes hung down loosely against her Java green feathers as she scratched at the canvas on the easel before her with a fine brush, dipped simply in dark blue ink, beak clasped shut and eyes narrowed in concentration. Every detail, every little piece, had to perfect...

"That stroke is lighter than even your feathers," whispered someone in her ear.

With a short gasp, she turned around, whipping her brush in the air...then smirked when she saw the white, red, and black peacock behind her jump back slightly, a spot of ink on his face.

"Shen! You know better..."

"Yes, well," Shen began uneasily, trying to wipe the ink off on the sleeve of his plain robe. "Ahem...I thought a deviation for once could be forgiven..."

"It can be, and it is," Lanying smiled, and turned back to her work. Shen peered at it over her shoulder.

"New project?"

"Obviously."

"Hm. What are you painting this time?"

"Nana."

Shen raised an eyebrow and looked at the sketching.

"Well...the current rough has her horns right..."

Lanying chuckled.

"What do you want, Shen?"

"I just wanted to know how you were...after what I saw at the fact-"

Lanying furrowed her brows and turned slowly, noticing he had never finished his sentence.

Shen looked off to one side, thoughtful and upset.

"What's wrong?"

"Well...the factory isn't around anymore."

Lanying stared.

"It was destroyed?"

"Burned to the ground. The intruder stole one cannon, one box of ammunition, a few designs...and burned down the building. To say nothing of the fact he killed all the guards."

Lanying looked at him for a moment.

"That tells me a little bit..."

"I'm not sure what he is up to...I thought he might be intending to make cannons of his own. He had plenty of men, judging from the evidence...he could have brought more with him, so he wouldn't be forced to make as many..."

"Maybe he only took the few to better avoid detection."

"Hmm...possibly...anyway, I better head back downstairs. I want to show Nana and Kurisu something Xun and I picked up at the site."

"All right...I'll just get back to my painting."

Shen smirked and kissed her. Lanying smiled and returned to her work as her husband left the room.

Xun, smirking, was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"So, who is she painting now, lovebird?"

"Nana," Shen replied shortly. "Do you have the painting of Maddohatta?"

"Yes, you gave it to me when we got here...why?"

"I want to show it to the Soothsayer."

"Oh," Xun said, simply, and pulled the scroll out of his vest. "Here. I think I'm going to the kitchen..."

"Feel free," Shen said, smirking. "We all know you could beat the panda himself in an eating contest..."

Xun playfully swiped at the peacock, who ducked quickly as the wolf headed down the hall.

Sheng Li knocked on the door to Min Yun and Kurisu's room. It was his Kitty that opened the door.

"Shen!" she purred, hugging him hard, briefly knocking the wind out of him. "There you are, you Ugly Chicken! When did you get back?"

"About five minutes ago," Shen hissed. "Please, Itty Bitty Kitty...choking..."

"Oh! Sorry," Kurisu said, backing up fast, head bowed slightly. Nana approached, putting down the bite-mark-infested robe she had been stitching.

"So, what did you find out at the factory?"

"Well, first of all, there is no factory."

Silence.

"...What?" Kurisu said, sitting down on the bed nearby.

"The building was burned down; we don't know why he did it."

"He?" questioned Min Yun, cocking her head to one side.

"Maddohatta," Shen answered. "The intruder."

Kurisu snickered, and covered it up with a sneeze.

"'Scuse me," she said, grinning. "Please, go on."

Shen eyed her bemusedly, and then turned back to the Soothsayer.

"This scroll is a painting an artist in Japan did of him," he said, patting the scroll under one wing.

"Japan?" Kurisu purred, ears pricking up.

"Yes, Itty Bitty Kitty; we found out that's where he comes from. Nana, take a look..."

Shen unrolled the scroll.

Kurisu and the Soothsayer both looked at the black cat, surrounded in flames, atop a mountain of skulls, a knife in one hand, a head in the other, with a sense of horror.

"Wow. Creeee-py."

"That's...that's the cat in my vision," breathed Min Yun. "I'm sure of it."

"I thought it would be," Shen said with a sigh. "He's an assassin, and a thief, apparently...serves someone named Giao Xun."

"You mean the guy who nearly killed Shifu?" Kurisu asked curiously.

Shen gaped.

"That's what Masters Storming Ox and Croc said, yes...how did you know?"

"I asked."

Shen blinked.

"Why am I always the last one to know these things?" he whispered.

Kurisu shrugged innocently.

"So what happened, dear?" pressed the Soothsayer.

"Maddohatta..."

Kurisu laughed a little louder this time. Shen looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, it's just...he chose a weird name..."

"Xun would agree with you there, kitten, but it suits him; you know what that name means don't you?"

"Mad Hatter. Let me guess: he's as crazy as you were?"

Shen winced slightly.

"I...don't like that comparison, but, yes...that's what we've been told, anyway."

Kurisu nodded, and looked at the painting. She eyed the knife in Maddohatta's paw...

_That knife...why do I seem to think I've seen it before...?_

_ Probably just the same kind some bandit Po and I stopped used._

_ Yeah, that's probably it._

So deciding, she nodded to herself...but she still felt that wasn't quite it, after all...

"Anyway, this panther took only a few things, and apparently decided to destroy the factory. He killed the guards, and was able to overpower Storming Ox and Croc."

"I can think of only one other person who could do that," the Soothsayer said, seriously.

"We're not sure of what his plan is," Shen said, ignoring this comment happily. "But I'm guessing he's going to try and make more cannons like the ones in the factory. To do that, he'll need metal. Lots and lots of metal."

"And metalworkers," the Soothsayer added sagely. "You had your wolves, dear...I doubt this man has the same resources."

Shen shrugged.

"We aren't sure of what his resources are," Shen admitted. "All we know is his identity and the list of items he took: one cannon, some ammunition, and a couple of the new designs I left the factory workers."

Min Yun nodded.

"So, how do we catch him?"

"We'll need to try and keep an eye on blacksmith shops, and smelting yards and weapons specialists. Those are the places we're mostly likely to find large amounts of metal. Kitchens and restaurants may be targeted as well, but..."

The door burst open. Xun stood in the doorway, looking excited.

But not in any way that was good.

"Shen! There's a robbery going on down the street!"

"OH, YEAH!" Kurisu cheered, leaping up, tail waving about.

"What's being robbed?" Shen asked instantly, feeling he already knew the answer.

Xun's answer proved him correct.

"A blacksmith's shop!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Revelations**

Knives in his sleeves and robe lining, Shen took off down the street. Xun followed closely behind him, and Kurisu took up the rear.

The blacksmith's shop being robbed soon came into sight. The blacksmith himself – a portly pig – was banging on the door of his own shop.

"They've locked me out!" he said. "The back way is locked as well...they might try to come out through there!"

Shen nodded.

"Itty Bitty Kitty? Watch the back entrance. If you see a single person come out besides myself or Xun, attack without mercy."

"Piece of cake!" growled the kitten, and ran around to the back.

"How do we get in?" asked the wolf.

Shen responded by whipping out a small throwing knife. He jammed it into the keyhole, turned it fast, and...

CLICK.

"Huh. I didn't know you could do that..."

"Neither did I, Xun...let's go," whispered Shen.

Xun nodded. Shen ducked down, and the wolf got on all fours.

"Stay here," Xun said to the pig, who nodded quickly, and they headed down the hall, where the sounds of clanging and clattering metal could be heard easily.

The two peeked into the room.

A tall, lean panther, dressed in the same clothes as the portrait on the scroll, carrying a cane with a top in the shape of a dragon's head, watched with a huge, manic-looking grin as he watched five more panthers – each wearing matching red vests and black masks – remove the metalworks from the shelves.

"No need to be gentle," he purred to his cohorts. "All this is to be melted and mashed, anyway."

"I don't think the peacock is coming, sir," hissed one of his men.

Shen's eyes widened.

_Peacock...was he expecting me...?_

"Hmph...perhaps you're right," purred Maddohatta, pulling a silver watch from his pocket. "I guess he's losing his touch. Well, let's conclude our business here and get moving..."

"You wouldn't leave us out of the fun, would you?" growled Xun.

Shen and he stepped fully into view.

The panthers all turned like scalded cats (no pun intended), with the exception of their leader, who turned to face them with an eerie sort of calmness, his grin widening slightly.

"Ah! Finally! The great Lord Sheng Li! The muse of my madness!" purred the panther, sweeping the top hat from his head and bowing gracefully. "Maddohatta, Master of Mayhem, at your service, sir."

"A pleasure," Shen hissed, feathers already bristling from the cat's cocky, over-polite manners.

_More like a mirror every minute..._

"My apologies if I interrupted you," he said to the panther, "But my friend here and I could not wait to spoil your fun."

Maddohatta chuckled, replacing his hat on his head, tossing his cane up and catching it again.

"On the contrary: I feared you would never get here, Sheng Li. And that, of course, would mean that I would never get to test you."

Shen raised an eyebrow.

"Test me?"

Maddohatta smirked.

"Boys? Sic 'em."

The five panthers in masks let out wildcat roars in unison, pouncing at him. Each pulled out a pair of knives from their belts.

Xun grabbed a hammer near him and threw it at one of the panthers. It slammed into its skull, knocking it to the floor, out like a light.

The other four were not so easy. Two went for Shen, the other two for the wolf.

Shen whipped out a pair of his own knives, making an X-shape with the blades, blocking a strike from one panther, who used their second blade to try and stab him. Shen easily managed to avoid this blow, and pushed up with his wings, knocking the knife between them away. He kicked out with one talon, sending the panther sprawling. It slammed into a shelf, and was felled by a kettle that landed on its head. The second panther that came at him was much easier. He flipped in the air, fanning out his tail, and the black cat jumped away, only to be caught by a volley of throwing blades and pinned to the wall. Shen grabbed a steel plate, filled with water for cooling the metal, and flung it like a discus, knocking this one out for the count quite quickly.

Xun had no weapons, but just as easily dispatched his two panthers. He grabbed one by the throat, ducking to avoid a lunge from one blade, and threw it against the wall, directly towards Maddohatta, who coolly sidestepped the oncoming cat, causing his minion to slam face-first into the stone wall of the shop. The second panther jumped over the wolf's head and spun around, throwing out a leg, knocking him to the floor. The wolf bit down on this leg as he tumbled, and the panther cried out in pain before the shock of the teeth and twisting limb sent him into slumber.

Now, only Maddohatta was left.

"Impressive...I think," he purred, utterly unaffected by how easily his men had been disposed of. "But I'm afraid it only takes one to carry this bag," he went on, pointing with his cane at the sack full of metalworks.

"Why did you take the cannon from the factory?" hissed Shen.

"Yeah!" agreed Xun. "Wouldn't it have been easier to get more for your money, so to speak?"

"I only need one," purred the panther simply.

"You won't get much money out of it, if selling the stuff is you're plan," scoffed Shen, although he doubted it.

Maddohatta rolled his eyes, like wheels of scarlet.

"Please," he drawled, "money isn't my idea of a necessity at all...so common! No...I'm not a material cat. I prefer more...aesthetic things. The art of fear, of chaos supreme. The power to bring every man, woman, and kitten to their knees. I work for hire because I, unfortunately, do need a bit of money, if only to keep my men happy...I don't buy what I need. I take it. That's what I love about my job: I do what I do best, and what I love to do, and I get paid for it."

"That being destruction and murder?"

"Precisely! What better career is there?"

Shen glowered.

"You're insane."

"Yes, well, it comes with the name...and, hold the phone! Do I hear the pot calling the kettle black?" purred the panther, smiling giddily.

He then glanced around at the many pots and kettles around him.

"Because they do that enough," he chuckled, gesturing at them.

Xun and Shen shared a quick glance.

_This guy's sick..._

"You won't escape."

"I think I will," yawned the cat. "But feel free to try and stop me."

Xun instantly leapt at the panther.

"Xun, wait!"

It was too late.

The wolf, snarling, lunged at Maddohatta, who moved quickly out of the way, whipping out his cane and smacking the gray wolf's tail end. With a sharp yelp, the wolf turned around and lashed out with his claws. Maddohatta ducked, and jabbed at him with his own...

Xun fell to the floor.

Shen stared.

The cat in the hat smirked.

"He's not dead," he said. "Just paralyzed...temporarily. A pity a certain Thundering Rhino couldn't say the same, hm?"

Shen reacted by flinging a blade at the cat, who dodged it nimbly and pulled out a dagger of his own from his belt, holding it in one hand, his cane in the other.

"I LOVE playing with birds!" he laughed madly, and swung his cane at the peacock. Shen parried the blow with a long branding iron near him, and swung a hand-held knife at the panther's face. With a simple tilt of his head, Maddohatta avoided the strike.

"Oh, come now," chuckled the panther. "I'm sure you fought Po harder than that..."

He paused.

"...His name _was_ Po, yes?"

Shen did not reply, but only swiped at Maddohatta with the branding iron. The panther flipped backwards.

"I'm surprised you're being so hostile," he purred. "I mean, I'm planning something that made your schemes look like the play-date plans of children! And I'm going to modify your own designs to do it! You should be thanking me!"

"I lost interest in taking over China long ago," hissed Shen, tossing another feather-shaped blade at the panther...which was easily avoided. The black cat slashed out with his dagger, and nicked the hemp robe of the peacock, who flipped backwards, train fanning out in an attempt to confuse the cat, who laughed and jumped _over_ his tail.

"Who said I wanted to take it over?" he giggled, like a small boy playing a guessing-game. "I'm a deranged murderer, not a politician! Although I suppose the two are often intertwined..."

He grinned.

"Your daddy can attest to that."

Shen's eyes widened.

Then narrowed again.

"My father was not a killer."

"No, but YOU were...because of how he and your mother raised you. I'd say that makes him equally guilty of your sins."

Shen's glare deepened. His already crimson eyes flamed.

"You didn't know my parents."

"I don't need to," snickered Maddohatta. "I just need to see their spawn, and I know what I need to know: they didn't do so hot."

Shen cawed and lunged in rage...

Maddohatta stood perfectly still...perfectly still...

_**THRAK!**_

__Shen gasped in pain and fell to the ground, clutching one wing in the other where the insane panther's cane had struck him.

"Your skill was better than I thought it would be," he said, smiling smugly. "But I'm afraid you're bones have the same weakness as any bird: their rather hollow."

So saying, he spun the cane in his hand, and picked up the sack of metalworks.

"Well, nice to see you!" he smiled gleefully. "Goodbye!"

Whistling cheerfully, the panther prepared to take his leave...

He stepped back slightly when a ball of blue and orange rushed at him, and blocked his path.

"Not so fast!"

The panther stared, and broke into a huge smile. There was no hint of madness or viciousness in it...he was sincerely amused.

"Aww!" he cooed. "How cute!"

Kurisu hissed angrily.

_I'm SO going to kick his..._

"You're not going anywhere! Drop that bag, now!"

The panther giggled ghoulishly.

"Adorable...simply adorable. Are you the little kitty-kat the Dragon Warrior adopted?"

"Technically, his dad...oh, never mind! GET READY FOR THE LIGHTNIN'!"

The kitten leapt at him...

He moved away easily.

With a growl, she tried again...

He moved again, beginning to laugh.

Hissing again, she tried one last time...

A black, furry foot-paw kicked her to floor and then pressed down on her, pushing her into the ground.

"Kurisu!" Shen cried out, and tried to get to her, but winced and fell back from the pain in his wing.

Kurisu growled at Maddohatta, who sneered and pulled his dagger from his belt...

She stared at it.

_That knife...now I remember..._

She gaped at him.

He smirked.

"You...you...you were..."

"There? As your bird-boy friend once said, 'Yes. Yes I was.'"

Sheathing his blade, the panther kicked her away, and darted out the back way, cane in one hand, bag of metal slung over his shoulder, laughing madly.

Kurisu watched him go with wide eyes.

"Ugh...Sh-Shen?" moaned Xun, beginning to come to.

He saw the peacock lying on the floor, clutching one wing.

"SHEN!"

Xun got to his feet unsteadily. He knelt back down beside his friend.

"What happened?"

"My wing...I think it's broken..."

Xun gaped, and then turned to Kurisu.

"Hey, help me out here, will you?"

The blue kitten didn't reply, still staring into space.

"Um...hello?"

Kurisu didn't say anything.

_He killed them,_ she thought. _He killed them all..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: "Remembering is Dangerous…"**

"Are you certain it was him?"

"It was the same knife," Kurisu said steadily.

"His goons had the same knife he did," Shen responded.

Kurisu squirmed.

"It…wasn't just the knife…he said he was there."

Shen sighed; he recalled times he had hoped to forget. Every second, it seemed Maddohatta grew to be like himself more and more. In his attempt to take over China, Sheng Li had let on he had been present when Po was abandoned, and now his enemy was doing the same to Kurisu.

_If he lies to her about the events later on, I'll paint my feathers black and wear a top hat…_

"He's a sadistic madman," Shen said coolly, keeping his thoughts to himself. "He's baiting you."

Kurisu huffed and crossed her arms.

"It's working," she said. "I want to find him…I need to know!"

"So did your 'brother,'" Shen replied. "Back when we were against each other."

Kurisu blinked.

"He's not like you…not really," she responded. "He killed someone…perhaps several someones…close to me. I need to find out why."

"If he did, it was probably for the heck of it. You saw him!"

"Take me with you when you go after him again."

Shen placed his good wing on his hip; the other was in a sling, fractured by a strike from the cat's cane.

"No," he said firmly.

The blue kitten glared at him.

"Come on!"

"When your brother followed me, he nearly got killed. You're even younger, and almost as inexperienced, as he was then, and this panther is, to put it bluntly, out of his mind. You are NOT going, and Nana will probably agree with me on that point."

The kitten looked about ready to hiss at him.

"I'll follow you," she said softly. "You know I will."

Shen glared right back.

"You recall what happened at Dao Ming when you followed me, and that pig found you?"

Kurisu's eyes widened, then narrowed again.

"You wouldn't."

"I would. Try it, see if I don't."

The kitten glared at him a minute longer, then darted down the hall where they had been standing, and ran into the room where she and Min Yun were staying, slamming the door behind her.

Master Shen sighed deeply.

"I do," said a voice behind him. He turned, and sighed again, this time with relief, when he saw the Soothsayer standing behind him.

"Nana, don't startle me like that!"

Min Yun smiled for a moment, then grew serious again.

"For once, I do agree with you…although you must understand why she wants to do this."

"I do; like her brother, she wants the truth. She feels she deserves it. I understand that fully, but this maniac moves like lightning; she won't stand a chance."

The Soothsayer sighed.

"I'll do my best," she said, "but I can't promise I'll be able to keep her from following you next time you face off with him."

Shen nodded solemnly.

"So," said the Soothsayer, straightening up, leaning forward slightly on her walking stick, "what have you found out?"

"Besides the fact he was evidently present when my Kitty's family was slaughtered? Plenty. He's utterly twisted; whatever he's planning, he's doing it for no other reason than he thinks it will be fun to do. Selling things is completely out the window. And…"

He paused.

The Soothsayer's stern expression urged him to say what he didn't want to.

He gulped, and finally said, voice barely a squeak, "He knows me."

Min Yun blinked.

"A good many people do, my chick."

Shen shook his head emphatically.

"I mean, he knows ME; he knows things about me most people shouldn't. He knows about Thundering Rhino's death, he knows about my past…exploits, of course; these are things many people are aware of."

"But?"

"But…he knows something nobody but two people should know, and that…worries me."

The word "worries" was spoken with emphasis. The Soothsayer raised an eyebrow, knowing her chick meant "frightens."

"What 'something' are you talking about?"

Shen took a deep breath.

"When the panda and I fought, and he realized who I was, he said to me, 'You were there?' I replied, 'Yes. Yes I was.'"

The Soothsayer repressed a shudder; the dark tone used in the last four words briefly made her see not her precious chick, but the deadly, psychotic warlord he had once become.

"And this is significant why?"

"When Maddohatta showed Kitty the knife, she not only said 'You were there,' he replied, in these exact words, 'as your bird-boy friend once said…'"

"And then he quoted you?"

"Precisely. Same emphasis, same words…he even attempted the same pose."

Min Yun placed a hoofed hand to her chin.

"The only way he could have done that was if he were there…and, judging from your descriptions, and that portrait, he would have stuck out in a crowd."

"Precisely. So, why is it no one, not I, not Xun, and not yourself, believe we've seen him before?"

Min Yun sighed.

"There's more to this cat than meets the eye," she said softly. "I wish my vision had told me how all this would end…"

Elsewhere, the door to another metalworker's shop swung open. The shop was filled with customers, who all stared up in fear at the lean, top-hatted panther in the door, flanked by two more panthers, each in black masks and red vests.

"Good day," purred the hatted panther. "Feel free to panic, but know that you will be less likely to live as long as those who stay calm. We're kidnapping the shopkeeper. Please, sit down upon the floor, and know that all unattended children will be gutted like cod."

Noting the knives in the masked cats' paws, all present obeyed.

Maddohatta snapped his fingers.

"Hakkyo? Shita? The buffoon is behind his desk. Grab him."

The two panthers with knives obeyed. The shopkeeper, a rather muscular-looking cat himself, leapt up and slammed a frying pan into the face of one of them, and ran out towards the back.

"Catch him, and come back quickly," purred Maddohatta, and his assisstants ran off fast.

Smirking, the deranged panther turned to look at a mother rabbit and her son, huddled in one corner. He looked with deadly, fiery red eyes upon the child, who whimpered and hugged his mother tight.

He snickered, and licked his lips.

Quite soon, the two masked cats reentered. One of them dragged the shopkeeper, unconscious, inside.

"Excellent," hissed their leader.

The next few sentences were conversed in Japanese.

_ "Shita?"_

_ "Yes, sir?"_

_ "Kill them all…leave only two alive."_

Here he pointed to the two rabbits, who looked on, fear heightened, and confusion enticed; neither mother nor son spoke the cats' language.

_"These two; leave the female to tell the story."_

_ "And the child?"_

Maddohatta giggled.

_"I need a snack."_

His assistants shivered; their master was a genius, but his occasional "cravings" gave them chills…

_"Hakkyo? Bring the feline and a bag of metal scraps when you are finished. The rabbit, too."_

"_It shall be done."_

"Good," purred Maddohatta, breaking from his native Japanese. "You have exactly twenty minutes. Do not be late."

So saying, the cat in the hat turned on his heel and stalked out, shutting the shop door behind him and locking it with the duplicate key he had pilfered earlier.

He smiled widely, hearing the screams as the first victim was claimed.

_It appears the peacock's interference has ruined my diet. Oh, well...at any rate, this will surely get his goat. In more ways than one…_


	7. Chapter 7

Notes: Yes, world, I am twisted and fiendish enough to kill a child and allow this sort of depravity. While this level of darkness is doubtful to return later on, it is still for this reason that the rating has been raised. If anyone feels it may remain as it was (K+) please, tell me, and I shall lower it back. Now...

**Chapter 7: The Anti Is Upped**

Shen glared darkly as he looked down at the letter in his hand.

_**Dear Bird-Brain,**_

_**You have failed to stop me. With the kidnapping of this metalworker and his wares, I have all I need. I've been gathering iron and people to meld it from all over China for some time now, but you and your featherbrained friends were too busy to notice the disappearances. Perhaps your Shifu is losing the so-called "edge" he is so well-known for. General Giao Xun and I are now finished sowing the seeds of destruction; from this point on, I am going to reap.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Maddohatta**_

_**P.S.: My apologies regarding the rabbit; I was peckish. By the time you read this note, he will be dead. Don't bother trying to get him back; I am a cat of my word. Bye now!**_

Shen sighed deeply as he finished reading the note for the third time. He glanced back over his shoulder, where the Soothsayer was trying to console the mother of the stolen child. The rabbit was weeping copious tears, her head bruised from the knockout strike inflicted by one of Maddohatta's panthers.

_"A bout of cannibalism from time to time." I should have seen this coming. _

He looked over to his right. A group of volunteers and doctors were clearing out the bodies of the few customers that had been present during the attack. Word of the raid had come just seconds too late; Shen scowled, eyes smoldering, as he remembered running to the dock, just in time to see Maddohatta and his goons going skimming across the sea from the port into the mist beyond of the cold morning. The demented, audacious panther had actually tipped his hat to the peacock in farewell.

Then the maniac had taken out a knife, and stabbed something below him. Shen now realized that "something" had probably been the kidnapped boy.

The letter had been tacked to a post on the dock.

It appeared the rabbit mother was the only survivor; with the boy and customers killed, and the shopkeeper "shoplifted," she was the only living witness left to the crime.

"What now?" Xun asked, walking up behind him.

"We need to know exactly what he is up to; to do that, we'll need to find out where he went."

Shen paused.

"Well?" Xun snarled, impatiently.

The peafowl sighed.

"That's just it; he probably will strike again before we can find out. He seems to enjoy attention."

Xun lifted an eyebrow.

"'Enjoy' would be an understatement," the wolf said blandly.

The Soothsayer hobbled forward. Shen noticed a pair of male rabbits lead the distraught mother away.

"The boy was her only son," said Min Yun, sadly. "She'll get over it, with luck, but it will take time."

Shen shook his head, eyes narrowed; the deranged panther had already included murder to his list of crimes when he killed the guards of the now-destroyed cannon factory, but there was a difference between killing a guard and kidnapping, stabbing, and/or devouring a mere child.

"She won't get over it, Nana…not completely. You know it."

The Soothsayer nodded sadly, eyes closed.

Shen shivered, flashes of black and white fur, stained with red, running through his mind briefly.

_At least I didn't EAT them…_

"I don't understand," Xun began softly. "These were innocent people…why kill them?"

"Because he's a sadistic cad," Shen hissed. "You know that already."

Xun shook his head.

"That's not what I meant. He wanted something out of this killing, and not just what he got. I'm not the smartest knife in the drawer…if you'll pardon the expression…but I'm not stupid either."

Shen smirked.

"You sure about that?"

Nobody laughed.

"Let's think," the wolf said. "We're dealing with a madman with a big ego. Remember how when you killed Thundering Rhino, you sent his horn to the Jade Palace?"

Shen squirmed, and then nodded.

"I did," he admitted, hoarsely. "I wanted to show them a hinting as to how powerful my cannons were."

"Right," Xun said, and abruptly took the letter from Shen, holding it in front of his face. "You sent them a clue AND a message. And what message do we have? What do we have that Maddleratter…"

"Maddohatta."

"…Whatever…gave us?"

Shen looked at Xun, then the letter, then Xun again.

He grinned slowly.

"Xun," he said, "You're a genius, when you want to be."

The wolf smirked.

"I try, _My Lord."_

Shen rolled his eyes, and turned to Min Yun.

"Nana, do you still remember how to get invisible ink to show?"

The Soothsayer blinked, and then smiled.

"Let's get back to the inn," she said simply.

About fifteen minutes later…

Lanying, Shen, Kurisu, and Xun all gathered around the table in the Soothsayer's room as she held the letter from Maddohatta over the candlelight, dripping what looked like water onto it.

"Almost done?" asked Shen.

"Just a little more time, my chick."

Shen looked at the letter again.

Finally…slowly…something began to appear on the blank back of the parchment.

Kurisu gazed at it curiously.

"What's that?"

The invisible ink had darkened, reacting to the chemicals and the heat of the flame. A shady, faded image appeared on the parchment. It resembled a long, hollow rod of metal, at one end of which was the image of a dragon's head, mouth wide open, baring long, sharp fangs. The other end bent down, and connected to a handle piece, which was curved, the end of it pointed, so that it resembled a dragon's tail. A small ring of metal was in the crook of the device, connected by both the rod and the handle, and what appeared to be a small triangular piece of metal – a switch, perhaps – was in its center. Illegible scrawling of writing – presumably in Japanese – were around the diagram, and what appeared to be drawings of firecrackers surrounded it.

Then the water dried, and the already faded image vanished.

Shen smiled with satisfaction.

"I believe, Itty Bitty Kitty, that 'that' is what we are up against."

There was a pause.

"Now, if we only knew exactly what we are up against _was_," mumbled Kurisu.


	8. Chapter 8

Notes: Giao Xun is among the OCs created by Cryssy-miu and gothicorca1895. I know very little about his character, so, for those of you who may know more, please forgive any out-of-character-ness (a phrase that I do not believe is actually existent, but, oh, well...).

**Chapter 8: Meeting**

Maddohatta whistled as he stalked down the hall, flicking away a small bone that had been stuck between his teeth.

He moved down the hall, his cane sharply tapping at the floor with every second step. He came to a great, decorative door, the image of two golden dragons, battling with each other, painted upon the red wood. Two masked panthers flanked the door.

"Is he in, Hakkyo?" purred Maddohatta to the one on the right.

The panther nodded.

"Excellent; I'll make this quick then."

Without another word, the cat in the hat waved his hand, and the two other panthers opened the door. Grinning hugely, Maddohatta swept the hat gracefully off his head, and placed it behind his back, leaning his cane against the wall as he entered. Hands (and hat) held behind him, he walked in, and the door was shut behind him as he stopped in the center of the room.

Another, larger panther, wearing nothing but black bottoms similar to the mad cat's own, stood at far end of the room, gazing out the window. His muscles fairly bulged, and his height would have made Tai Lung cower at the sight.

"You know it is a risk for me to come here, Hatta," he rumbled, shortening his name curtly.

The assassin smirked.

"Yes, General, I know," he hissed coolly. "But I thought you would want to know personally that the showing of the prototype to our enemies is soon, and a full armory of our new weapons are quickly heading to completion. Once finished, I shall leave no evidence."

The taller, thicker panther turned slightly.

His eyes were just as red as any other, and just as deadly as Maddohatta's.

"Is that all?"

"No," said Maddohatta calmly. "I thought you would also like to know that one of Kade's spawn seems to have survived my onslaught, just as you predicted."

Giao Xun blinked, and then turned away again.

"Then kill her. She is of no real value."

"Understood, and appreciated."

"What will you do with the workers?"

Maddohatta raised an eyebrow.

"I did say that I will leave NO evidence."

"Good. And they know your master?"

Maddohatta grinned even wider.

"They know of your involvement, General, yes…to a degree."

A dark, fang-filled smile twisted across the general's face.

"Perfect."

"My only worry now is the bird-brained boob that claims to have reformed."

Giao Xun turned fully, an eyebrow raised.

"Bird-brain?"

Maddohatta grinned wider.

"Sheng Li."

The panther warlord's eyes widened considerably.

"Lord Sheng Li? He's trying to stop you?"

"It's Master Sheng Li, now. Or Master Shen. In any case, he should prove to be no problem. His destruction has already begun."

"Why is he involved?" growled Giao, fists clenched. "He isn't on..._his_ side?"

"I regret he is."

Giao Xun growled softly.

Then, without warning, he whipped around and slammed his fist into the wall, shattering the edge and sending splinters everywhere.

"HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?"

Maddohatta shrugged nonchalantly.

"I must say I believe fate has a sense of humor. Thankfully, this little hat-cat does his homework..."

Giao turned to him again, eyes blazing, fur bristling.

"Kill him," he snarled. "And anyone with him. Especially the kitten."

"I will do so with great pleasure," Maddohatta said, bowing. "But I think this is one occasion I shall not rush to murder with. It seems the peacock and the kitten have some sort of...relationship."

Giao's eyes widened.

"They are...?"

The panther laughed.

"Not THAT kind, General. Think of them as...siblings. I shall cut through them like a knife and butter."

Giao growled deeply.

"I want them dead..."

"As do I, but something you once told me continues to pour through my demented head..."

"What's that?"

"That the smart warrior shall not strike his enemy physically, but internally; Lord Shen's emotions are still not entirely controllable, and I will soon see to it his already uneven mind reverts to its darker side."

Giao paused.

Then he smiled.

"Drive him mad, if that is what you want, Hatta. But kill him in the end."

"Either him or the kitten; I shall strike those closest to them, and, eventually, one of them will have to come to me. Only then will I finish them."

Giao Xun nodded.

"And the final weapon?"

"Completed, general."

Giao chuckled darkly.

"Good boy. May I see it?"

"All in good time, General Giao. Soon, everyone will see it..."


	9. Chapter 9

Notes: I feel this story, readers, is growing to be a wee bit repetitive. Also, while I know how I want this story to end, the events between this moment and the ending are scratchy, at best. Any suggestions for future chapters will be considered and appreciated. Now…

**Chapter 9: Reveal**

There are many sounds one would like to wake to: the chirping of a bird, the pattering of light raindrops, a soft breeze, even total silence, which might called sound-without-sound…

The sound of screaming and clattering down the street is not one of them.

Especially if it was to be followed by a torrent of mad laughter.

Sheng Li had never risen so early, as he darted downstairs, a knife held in each wing. He was surprised to find Xun, Kurisu, and all the rest up just as early, beginning to move out of their rooms. The wolf and the kitten followed him as he practically flew to the ground floor of the inn.

As he had suspected, and slightly feared, Maddohatta stood right in the center of the street. His tail whisked about coolly, and his twirled his cane idly.

"Well, finally! I thought you'd never wake up…forgetting about lil ol' me already?"

The panther batted his eyelashes and cackled.

"You're an idiot," snarled Xun. "There's two of us…"

"Three!" hissed Kurisu.

"…Fine. Three of us, and one of you."

"You think that matters to me? Besides, you seem to be miscalculating."

The wolf tilted his head slightly.

"How?"

Maddohatta grinned.

"Let me cast you a horoscope, puppy-face: instead of one, you discover seven, ready to send you straight up to heaven!"

The panther banged his cane on the street, and seven more, each in masks, all appeared, moving from the shadows of buildings, and even from the rooftops. Their knives were already drawn.

Shen hissed softly, tail feathers fanning out high, bristling in warning. The panthers stood still, tails snapping about, looking ready to pounce at any moment…

"Hold your horsies, boys," Maddohatta grinned. "Shita? Get the box."

One of the panthers nodded quickly, and ran out of the inn.

"I'm glad you could join us today, gentlemen," said Maddohatta, bowing slightly. "After all, I made this in honor of your glorious devices, Lord Shen."

"I detest that title, now," hissed the peacock.

"Really? Can't imagine why…no, really. I can't. I would enjoy such a title."

"Sir…"

"Ah, yes! Thank you, Shita!" chirruped the assassin, taking a small, red box out of his assistant's paws. "This," he said, "is a little something I whipped up in my spare time back in Japan. I came all the way into China, just so I could make it and show it to you people. Now, isn't that nice of me?"

"Is it the illustration on the back of the letter?"

The panther grinned wider.

"Very clever of you to figure that out, kitty-cat. Yes, it is…only this is more _dimensional,_ so to speak. Now…birdy, do you recall what I told you I love most about my job?"

"You get to kill and destroy things, and you get paid. What of it?"

"Well, the only thing I like more than either of those two things is learning, and I learn A LOT."

"So I've surmised."

Maddohatta giggled.

"Well, when I was out in a country called Britain, not only did I pick up a _very_ special book, but I also discovered that your ideas for weapons fueled by gunpowder have reached farther than you can imagine."

"Masters Croc and Storming Ox informed me of that a while back."

"I know."

_And that doesn't surprise me,_ Shen thought, but kept this to himself.

"Anywho, a very nice victim allowed me to get hold of a weapon called a pistol. Now, using that tool, and the things I stole from your cannon factory, I now have created a device so destructive, so perverse, so awesome, it will have your precious Shifu on his knees, offering me anything NOT to use it!"

So saying, he flung open the box, and took the weapon out.

It was the same curved, hollow metal rod, carved in the shape of a dragon, with a sort of trigger set between its handle and the main rod, seen in the design. It was bright red in color, with bits of golden brass strewn about its surface. Its "mouth" was open, revealing gaping black hole.

"Think of it as a more portable version of your beloved cannon," sneered Maddohatta. "Ladies, gentlemen…undecided…I give you: THE DRAGON'S NECK!"

_**KIEWEESHK!**_

An eerily familiar and hideous shriek erupted from the Dragon's Neck, and a shower of brightly colored sparks blasted out at a speed that made Shen's flesh crawl.

"Down!" he cried, and all three fell to the floor. The shower of fireworks soared onward and blasted into the wagon of an already horrified merchant, who cried out loudly and scuttled away in fear as his cart burst into flames.

_**KIEWEESHK!**_

Another firework screamed towards them. Shen rolled out of the way, while Kurisu and Xun got up and ran. The firework smashed into the street, leaving a great number of smoldering sparks in its wake.

_**KIEWEESHK!**_

__Amidst the raucous laughter of Maddohatta, third blast came, and Shen barely had time to flip out of its way…

As it slammed into a nearby house.

The building instantly caught fire.

The screams and wails of the house's tenants instantly attracted the attention of Sheng Li.

He glared at the panther with the cane, who lowered the gun and stuck it into his belt – either its ammo was spent, or he was simply bored with using his new toy – before leaning on his cane and grinning smugly at Shen, who glanced back between him and the house.

Xun was not quite so indecisive. He smashed through the window and ran into the burning house.

"Well?" purred the maniac. "What'll it be, bird-boy?"

With a sharp hiss, the peacock flew into the burning house.

"Hmph…pity. A bit more playtime would have been nice."

"Don't count me out."

Maddohatta yelped as something tackled him to the floor. In an instant, he kicked up his legs, throwing it behind him, and landing back on his feet.

He smirked when he saw Kurisu standing, crouched, ready to fight, glaring at him with a look of purest hatred.

He waved a paw at his goons, who were ready to attack, and they sheathed their knives and stood still.

"What do you know about…that night?"

"Your father broke my nose once, as well as my mind, and he got a good deal of bad luck out of it…at least seven years. Now, are you going to try and settle for fourteen? Or help the birdy and dog out, like a good kitty?"

Kurisu glared, silent for a moment.

"This isn't over."

"And you are very trite. Goodbye."

Waving childishly in farewell, the panther dashed away, heading for the dock once more. His henchmen followed him.

Kurisu approached the window, but the family inside – a family of birds – had already been saved. They lay coughing, curled up on the ground.

The Soothsayer hobbled up.

"I'll see what I can help with. The innkeeper's getting some men to put out the fire. You stop Maddohatta."

Shen nodded, and sprinted toward the dock. Xun stayed behind to help…

And Kurisu, after a moment's pause, followed the peacock.

Shen snarled deeply when he got closer.

Not only was he too late for the second time, and not only did he get the _pleasure_ of watching the madman sail off again…but now the docks were on fire, too.

The Dragon's Neck had done its work well.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Anxiety Issues**

"I told you not to come with us!"

"Yeah, but you didn't stop me when I came, did you?"

"Of course not; it would have done no good! Once you were out there, with us, it was too late! That's why I didn't say anything!"

"Then why get all huffy-puffy with me now?"

"BECAUSE YOU _DID_ COME! Don't you realize what he's doing? He's baiting you, Kitty! He'll lure you right to him, weaken all your resolves, and finish you."

"How do you know that's what he's planning?"

Shen took a deep breath.

"Because...that's what I tried to do to your brother. I told you that already."

"And I already told_ you_: you're not like him!"

"Maybe not, but he IS like me...or at least, the me that I was before!"

Kurisu growled.

"Then are you sure it's _me_ he's baiting?"

Without another word, she ran off.

Shen hissed softly.

_That's the second time we've argued like this, and she's run off..._

"She's wiser than one would think for her age," murmered Lanying, who had left her room to look at the commotion.

Shen sighed.

"Wise, but not necessarily clever. There is a slight difference, and she's a child."

"She won't rest until she's gotten what she wants, will she?"

Shen smirked despite himself.

"I certainly hope not."

"Master Sheng Li!"

Sheng Li and Lanying turned to see Master Storming Ox coming up the stairs.

"Master Croc is still overseeing repairs. You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes," Shen said, and cleared his throat. "What do you know about a weapon called a pistol?"

Ox raised an eyebrow.

"Only that it was built by a foreigner who had seen your cannons."

"Well, it seems Maddohatta is well acquainted with a place pistols are available. He has created a 'portable' version of my firework cannons."

"Gave it some kind of weird name," added Xun, who was just returning from the kitchen downstairs. "What was it...the Dragon's Neck?"

"The Dragon's What?"

"Neck. Our mad cat seems to be on the theatrical side in names, to say the least," Shen said.

Ox crossed his arms.

"He seems theatrical with everything, Shen. How bad is it?"

"Did you see the house fire?"

"Yes..."

"That bad...or worse."

Ox sighed.

"This is getting exhausting...when was the last time somebody stood up to three masters..."

"And a wolf..."

"And held his own? Present company excluded, of course."

Shen said nothing.

"Does Shifu know yet?" asked Lanying; she was starting to grow uncomfortable in the crowded area.

"We sent word to him, just as your husband requested. Tang returned this morning, but had no reply to give."

Shen raised an eyebrow.

"Really? No...rally for action? No...I don't know...words of clichéd wisdom?"

"Nothing. According to Tang, when he heard the name of the assailant, he was speechless."

Shen, himself, could not say a word.

Again.

"What now?"

"We find out where he's keeping these weapons; in making them smaller, he could easily mass-produce them at a fairly quick pace. Far quicker than it took me to make my cannons."

"How much quicker?"

"It took me thirty years and a lot of metal to make my cannons, and I still had some to spare. These will require less, his army is – I hope – smaller, and I do not believe he has as much in quantity of supplies."

_"How. Much. Quicker?"_

Shen gulped and looked down.

"If we use one hundred as a number of reference...about two weeks, at best, depending on how long he has been making them already.

There was silence.

"We need to find his factory. Fast."

"Duly noted. I already have an idea of where it might be."

"What is it?"

"Every time this...Maddohatta escapes, he departs by boat. Tell me, are there any islands nearby Gongmen, just large enough for a building about the size of the factory we had here?"

Ox blinked.

"Only one," he said. "It's an underwater mountain; the peak forms the island. We call it Mt. Unes."

"How far away is it?"

"Not too far, but you wouldn't be able to see it from the harbor..."

"And how fast could we reach it by boat?"

"About three days...two if we hurry."

"I have a fair guess that that's where he is."

"Then we check?"

"Yes; we must get to the island. With luck, there will be a factory there."

"And if not?"

"We beg the gods that we find the true destination fairly soon."

"And once we get there, we destroy the building, yes?"

"Correct, Master Ox; we must take care of the factory before we can take care of the cat in the hat. If we're lucky, we'll be able to take care of both."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Xun grinned.

Within a few hours, Shen, Xun, Croc, Ox, and the whole company were on the harbor...minus Kurisu, who had refused to leave her room.

"Show me your painting when we return," smiled Shen, giving Lanying a peck on the cheek.

She grinned.

"I shall, _Lord Shen,_" she chuckled, curtseying mockingly.

Shen rolled his eyes and turned to the Soothsayer.

"You do realize why, for once, you have to stay?" he said flatly.

"I'll remain...someone needs to watch your two ladies."

"Nana!"

Min Yun only smiled, old eyes twinkling.

"Come on, chicken-bones!" barked Xun, loading a few boxes of supplies for the trip. "Do you want to catch this guy or not?"

"Coming!" called Shen, and turned back to the Soothsayer. "Please, tell Itty Bitty Kitty I'm sorry, and let her know I'll take her with me next time."

The old goat nodded.

Shen smiled, glanced at Lanying, and boarded the boat.

Not long after, it disappeared over the horizon. Lanying and Min Yun watched until the last second.

"We'll need to be ready for archers...he might have a few," said Croc, holding up a few shields he had brought for protection.

Shen nodded.

"Is there any way to move around the island where we won't be so visible to any guards?"

"There is a tunnel in the side of the peak...we might be able to land the boat there and make our way to whatever stronghold is set from there."

Shen only nodded a second time.

As the ferry moved forward, no one noticed a small blue tail whisk itself under a tarp that covered some boxes...


	11. Chapter 11

Notes: I know that, historically, the "surprise" in this chapter couldn't really have happened...but, heck, this is _Kung Fu Panda,_ so don't harass me for it, 'kay? That is all. Now, on we go to...

**Chapter 11: First Turn**

The island was, much to Shen's relief, just what he'd hoped for: stationed on the land was a large factory – not unlike his own, he thought in retrospect – where Maddohatta no doubt worked on his armory and arsenal.

He looked to his left and frowned slightly.

Xun was fast asleep, fit to snore his head off.

"Get up," snapped Shen curtly, smacking a wing across the wolf's face.

"SUSHI!" yelped Xun, gasping as he awoke, then looked around and smiled embarrassed at the stares from Shen and the other masters – Storming Ox and Croc – present on the ferry.

"Umm...mornin'?"

They all just shook their heads and turned around again to look at the island.

Clouds of smoke billowed from the factory. Orange-toned light from the fires illuminated it. It was twilight when the island came into view, making the flame and smoke of the factory almost hellish in appearance. The black metal and dark wood that made up the structure did nothing to lessen this notion.

Behind them, unseen, a pair of cat's eyes gazed up in both awe and fear.

"Whoa..." whispered their owner.

"Where is the tunnel you mentioned?" asked Shen.

"Around the back of the island. I don't see any archers...yet."

"No," said Croc. "But they see us, if they're there. Or, at any rate, they see the ferry boat..."

"Remind me why we chose a passenger barge again as our boat?" Xun said.

"Because, even as mad as he is, the panther is less likely to attack a passenger boat than a small boat with three Kung Fu masters and a wolf guard, obviously."

"Oh...right."

Shen rolled his eyes.

Up on the balcony two pairs of red eyes watched expectantly.

"Here they come, Hakkyo-san."

"I know, Shita-san. Did he leave us what we needed?"

"Yes. Do I prepare the guards?"

"No; remember Maddohatta's orders? We let them in..."

This conversation, naturally, was unheard by those on the ferry.

As they drew closer, all five (one hidden) stared up with a sense of dread at the factory.

"No doubt he has a great many men here..."

Xun snorted.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present the rare species 'Shen-ius, obvious-ai...'"

"We're nearly to the tunnel," said Croc.

When the ferry got to the tunnel, all three shivered; carved into the side of the stone wall was a passage, doubtless an entrance up into the factory.

"We'll take the direct approach," lowed Ox. "With his twisted brain, it could surprise him..."

Shen said nothing, but silently slipped a wing-ful of knives into a ready position. Never had he had so many blades on him before since his reform...it made him feel both exceptionally secure, and exceptionally uneasy at once.

All four moved into the passage.

Once she was sure they couldn't see her, Kurisu moved out of hiding. She knew she couldn't follow right after them. With a disgusted air she looked into pool the boat floated on.

"Ugh...out of the frying pan, and into the water..."

She dove in, swimming around to the side of the island. Sopping wet, the blue kitten crawled out and shook herself dry.

"Yuck...this better be worth that mess..."

Without another word, she ran up the side of the island peak and towards the factory...

Inside the fortress, Xun, Shen, Croc, and Ox gazed around.

No guards...no soldiers...

"No welcome committee..."

"Perhaps they didn't see us coming after all..."

"We'll split up," said Shen. "We're more likely to find our cat that way, and we'll be less likely to avoid detection...I think..."

All nodded, and went off in different directions.

Above them, a small blue kitten hid on the scaffold, watching them fan out. She took a deep breath and hustled across the scaffold. A panther came into view. She gasped, looking around for some place to hide...

The panther, hearing a noise, turned fast...

He saw nothing.

But one can be sure he felt the anvil that clanged into his skull from above.

Kurisu sighed, feeling his neck.

The assassin was still alive, but would no doubt have one heck of a headache when/if he woke up...

She nodded to herself and scrambled back up the post that held up another scaffold and moved on.

Shen moved quietly through the factory, knives ever at the ready. Panthers were all around, hammering and molding the metal to make the Dragon's Necks for Maddohatta's plans...whatever those were. He hadn't needed to use them yet, but he felt he soon would...

He was creeping past a workman when his foot alighted on a hot metal clamp, for taking the heated metal out so it could cool, and cawed in pain.

The worker panther immediately spotted him and pulled out a katana.

"Intruders!" it cried, and a swarm of sword-wielding masked panthers all came at him.

The cry echoed through the factory, and soon all four of them found themselves surrounded. Croc's spiked tail and Ox's horns swept away the assassins that came at them in droves, while Xun clawed and bit at any panther that tried to take a slice out of him, snarling dangerously.

Shen flung volley after volley of his deadly, accurate blades, pinning panthers to the ground and the walls and knocking their weapons away, not yet committed to actually dealing bodily harm. As they came at him harder and faster, however, he began to fight more fiercely, feather-shaped knives sticking into their arms and legs, incapacitating them, but not killing them.

Above, Kurisu scuttled around. She hadn't seen any more panthers since the first one...which was good, since she could hear the commotion below.

_I hope Shen's all right..._

"Looking for me?" purred a familiar voice.

Kurisu froze and turned, looking to the right and downward.

Shrouded in smoke and steam was the shadowy silhouette of a tall figure in a top hat. It tipped its hat, and dashed off.

With a growl, the blue kitten leapt down and gave chase.

Shen heard a familiar laugh above him, and turned his red eyes upward, tripping up several panthers with his fan tail.

He gaped when he saw a familiar blue furball dart after the shadowy form in the hat...

_Kurisu! What's she doing here...?_

Leaping high, the peacock landed nimbly on the scaffold and followed.

Kurisu smirked as the cat in the hat came to the end of the catwalk (no jokes there), looking down at a vat of molten metal.

"Tell me what you know."

"I will destroy you," snarled the cat, pulling out his dagger, half-shrouded still in smoke.

Kurisu scoffed.

"Now who's being trite?" she taunted, and leaped at him. The panther suddenly dropped down, and the kitten grabbed onto the edge for dear life, staring down at the hot, orange pool below her in terror.

A black boot stepped dangerously close to her fingers...

Something thudded into the panther's head, and he fell over sideways, down to the floor of the factory...

Storming Ox, who happened to be right below, caught the hatted form.

"We have him!" he called to Croc, who was just around the corner from him. "Find the wolf, and let's get out of here!"

Shen grabbed hold of the kitten's arm and heaved her up, catching her in his wings and gliding downward, sprinting after Ox and Croc.

Xun was beating off a trio of katana-carrying panthers with his bare paws when they found him.

"Come on!" called Shen, and the wolf kicked two panther's away, dodged a slash from the third, and followed.

They could still hear the angered, wildcat snarls and roars of the black cats as the boat pulled out.

"That was just a little easier than I had thought it would be..." muttered Xun.

Kurisu sat at the bow, quiet as a mouse, ears flattened back, while Shen glared at her.

"When we get back to Gongmen," he hissed quietly, "You're dead."

The kitten gulped.

"All right, Maddohatta," growled Croc. "What's Giao Xun's plan? What are the Dragon's Necks for?"

The panther pulled his hat down, covering his face from sight.

"Your time is up," he hissed.

"Enough!" bellowed Ox.

"Weren't we supposed to actually get rid of the factory?" Xun asked dryly. "'Cause, you know, having him here is great, but..."

A loud boom filled their ears, and all turned.

The factory was on fire.

"Let's just say I left a small surprise for them before we took off," chuckled Croc.

"Now tell us what you know," said Ox.

"Looking for me?" purred Maddohatta, pulling the hat down even further.

"Er...no," said Xun steadily. "You're right there..."

All jumped upwards as, abruptly, the panther started laughing, and just as abruptly stopped.

"Wait a moment," said Shen, red eyes narrowed, and approached the panther, grabbing it by the collar and tossing the hat away, out into the sea.

He stared into the red eyes of the wildcat, and then hissed, slamming its head into the deck and knocking it out.

"Shen! What was that for?"

"Take a look, Master Croc."

And so he did.

They all did.

Underneath the red coat was just another masked goon in a red vest.

And, tucked in his coat pocket, was a tiny action figure, resembling the villainous madman who commanded him.

"I will destroy you," said the toy.

"We've been out-tricked," snarled Xun.

"So it would seem."

"Then...where did he go?"

Shen glared out into space.

"Where we aren't," he said simply.

"Meaning...?"

Shen looked meaningfully at Storming Ox.

"Tell me, Master...can you make this boat go any faster?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Second Turn**

Min Yun was pacing back and forth in the main hall of the inn in Gongmen City.

"Nana, you need to calm down," said Lanying. "I'm the one with the panic attacks, after all..."

"But she's been gone two days! What if she went after Shen?"

"Then chances are she's with him; you know Shen wouldn't allow any harm to come to Kurisu."

"But..."

_"Nana,"_ said Lanying, and smiled comfortingly. "She'll be okay. Really, what would Shen say if he saw you like this?"

The Soothsayer thought about this and nodded shortly.

"You're right...besides," she then added, smirking, "I can always just look into my bowl."

The Java peahen just chuckled.

"Come on," she said. "I've finished my painting. Perhaps you'd like to see it?"

"All right," said the Soothsayer, and followed her up the stairs.

As they disappeared into their room, the door to the inn slowly crept open.

The innkeeper, a hog, looked up, hearing the sound...

And saw no one.

Curious, he moved to the door and looked outside...

Back upstairs, Min Yun chuckled, running a hoof over the painted canvas of Lanying's portrait of her.

"You draw me even better than I look..."

"All those robes you wear made it a wonderful color study," said the peahen. "I wanted to see if I could get you into a position like you were reading a fortune, or something..."

"It's funny...that odd expression of mine..."

"Is it bad?" asked Lanying, lowering her head feathers; the Soothsayer had become a grandmother to her since she'd become part of Shen's "family," and, like most, she hated to upset her.

"No...it's funny because that's actually what I look like."

Both of them laughed.

Just then, there was a sharp knock on the door.

Both looked up and gazed, puzzled, at the closed entranceway.

"Huh...Shen?"

"I doubt it," muttered the Soothsayer. "He probably wouldn't knock..."

Another knock came, this one a bit louder.

Lanying moved to open the door, but the Soothsayer stopped her with one raised hoof.

"I'll get it," she said in a voice that was oddly grim.

Instantly, Lanying realized she thought something was wrong.

Slowly, the old bearded goat lady hobbled up to the door. She placed her hoof on the door handle...

The door flew open, slamming the Soothsayer into the wall.

"NANA!"

Lanying gasped as a knife flew from the doorway and slammed straight into the painting...right where her neck had been.

She panted, breathing heavily, as a figure in a dark cloak and a tall hat moved into view.

It grinned, eyes red and alight with madness.

_"Knock-knock."_

It held up something in its hand...

_**KIEWEESHK!**_

A blast of multicolored sparks leapt at her, and she ducked just in time, letting out a short scream as the wall behind her burst into flame.

She pushed past the figure and ran down the stairs.

"Help!" she cried. "There's...!"

She stopped abruptly at the sight of the innkeeper on the floor, a knife in his chest.

Hearing the cackling laughter behind her, she pulled the knife out with a grimace.

The cloaked figure – a panther, it looked like – came once more into view.

"You were supposed to say, 'who's there?'"

Lanying gulped.

"Say it," snarled the cat, and raised the metal fire-spitting rod again.

Lanying said nothing. She could feel her heart, trying to beat its way out of her chest...her lungs were hyperventilating...

_Come on...hold out...can't go now..._

"Who...who's there?"

The panther laughed.

"Me!"

And he fired again.

The open door flew off its hinges, a smoldering nothing, as Lanying dove to one side.

Smirking the panther moved closer...

He stopped, eyeing her with interest as he watched his dagger clatter out of her grasp as she lay on the floor, shivering and trying to speak, her beak forming incomprehensible strings of babble.

He grinned a little wider.

"Ah...you're Shen's main squeeze, aren't you? The one with the panic attacks?"

Lanying couldn't answer, she just stared up, horrified, trying, in her overexcited state, to edge away.

"P-p-p-p-please...d-d-don't..."

"Hmph. Well it's clear you're no fun to converse with," snarled Maddohatta, replacing his Dragon's Neck in his belt and picking up his knife.

Lanying didn't hear him...everything was getting fuzzy...she vaguely noted two other panthers dragging the unconscious Soothsayer away, her panicked glance falling on the exit...

"Do me a favor," hissed Maddohatta, his voice sounding distant. "When Sheng Li gets back, tell him I came to visit, hm?"

Then everything went black. The last thing she heard was the panther's horrible laugh.

The last thing she saw was the blade of his knife, moving toward her...


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: The Game Is Afoot**

The ringing of the old monastery bells, just outside Gongmen, greeted the return of Sheng Li and his comrades. The tolling of the bells seemed dismal and out of place in the bright sunshine of the morning. The instant the peacock's talons touched land, he dashed to the inn.

He stood stock still as it came in sight.

The inn still stood...barely, but it was smoldering and smoking, a group of volunteers standing around, trying to clean up the burned wreckage.

Xun and Kurisu came up on either side, gaping up in equal horror.

The first thought that came to their minds was the word _Nana._

The second thought to come to Shen's mind was the name _Lanying._

They ran up to the smoking ruins of the inn. They shuddered as two pigs with a stretcher carried out a body – probably the innkeepers – out and away.

"What happened?" Xun asked, although they all already knew the answer.

The question was addressed to Tang the duck, who was overseeing everything.

"It was that panther again," he honked. "He came in last night, killed the innkeeper, captured the Soothsayer, and set the place on fire. The volunteers here managed to put out the flames, but, as you can see, it's still quite a mess."

"Did you find anyone else? A Java green peahen, perhaps?" asked Shen anxiously.

Tang's eyes grew sad and nervous.

"She's alive, Master Shen, but..."

"But what?"

"...The poor lady was unconscious when we found her; another of those panic attacks, I'm guessing?"

Shen said nothing, but urged him to go on with a desperate gesture.

"Well...Dr. Ren has her right now. Apparently leaving her out cold while the building burned was enough; the maniac cut something right into her skin."

At that moment Shen stared out into space. His red eyes burned brightly.

Tang cringed, while Kurisu and Xun both shared nervous glances; the look on Shen's face was all too familiar, and not at all welcome to see...

"What was it?" Shen asked, his voice silky and deadly, like a viper about to strike out.

"Um...i-it was a message. Only three words: 'Listen to look.'"

Shen nodded very, very slowly.

"What have you salvaged here?" he questioned much-too-calmly.

"Er...uh...s-s-some more of your knives, and some charred clothes, some of them still wearable...m-most everything we saved is at the bunkhouse by the under-repairs f-f-factory..."

Shen's tail knocked Tang over with a quack as the peacock raced off to the factory.

Xun followed him quite soon.

Kurisu watched them go for a moment, then stared at the ground.

With a low growl, she followed.

Shen quickly got to the bunkhouse where Ox and Storming Croc resided.

He found a box of feather-shaped blades, and opened it up, hissing as he placed them in the folds of his robe and at the ready.

"Shen, wait!" barked Xun, entering behind him. "We don't know where this guy is! Don't go making the devil happy!"

"Wrong, Xun," Shen hissed. "I know exactly where he is."

This caught the wolf off guard.

"Um...come again?"

"What message did he leave us?"

"In Lanying?" Xun asked, unsettled. "Er...'listen to look.'"

"Precisely. Did you hear anything out of place when we got here?"

"Well, no...just the mutterings and noise of everyone around us, and the monastery bells..."

"There you go."

Xun blinked.

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?" asked Kurisu. "Maddohatta's with all the other villagers? Doesn't that seem a little...I don't know...odd?"

"No, but the bells, Itty Bitty Kitty, do."

"Why?"

"The old monastery has been abandoned since I was just a chick."

Xun's eyes widened.

"That's right! Your parents used to use the building as a place to station the fireworks for the festivals, where everybody, including them, could see it!"

"Couldn't they have seen it from their place?" questioned Kurisu.

"The sparks would have set fire to the palace," Shen said. "The monastery was far enough away from people that the falling sparks would cause little or no trouble, but close enough for all to see and enjoy."

"You think Malkobatter..."

"Maddohatta," corrected Kurisu and Shen.

"Whatever! Do you think he's holding Nana there?"

"I'd bet my life on it," said Shen, running a feather along one of his blades before setting it in place. "And there's something else, too..."

"What?"

"It's been...nagging at my brain for awhile. The Dragon's Necks are miniature versions of my cannons, yes?"

"Uh-huh. What of it?"

"If Maddohatta can create smaller versions of my work, what's to stop him from making larger ones?"

Kurisu's eyes widened.

"No way!"

"Yes way. I have no doubt he didn't know about the destruction of his factory. He wouldn't have kidnapped Nana if his plans were foiled; he's luring me to him."

"Maybe he just wants revenge for ruining his work," Xun suggested.

"But he tricked us by having an imposter at his factory," Kurisu commented.

"Right," Shen said, noticing a halberd on the wall, and, with some hesitation, taking it up and spinning it experimentally. "He's got more plans for Gongmen, and us, or I'll eat my robes."

"Leave that to the Soothsayer," Xun tried to joke. Shen glared at him, and he shut his mouth.

"Tell Ox and Croc we're not through here," he said in a dark, commanding voice the wolf guard had hoped never to hear again. "Maddohatta's gone too far, and we're already late for tea."


	14. Chapter 14

Notes: Making origins for Maddohatta was _TOUGH._ I'm not sure of how good they come off, so, please, be nice; knowing as much as this guy does, I felt he deserved some sort of background check.

**Chapter 14: And All is Told**

Min Yun the Soothsayer groaned softly as she awoke. Her old bones had never felt so aged, and she ached everywhere...

She ran a hoof over her eyes and sat up. As her groggy, bleary vision cleared, she felt a stinging pain on her forehead, and touched a hoof to it with a short baa of pain. She looked around.

She shivered, realizing she was in a cage – a sort of makeshift cell, with heavy metal bars interlocking to form four walls and a ceiling. Torches gave illumination, and a moth-eaten cot was placed inside for a bed.

Her gnarled walking stick was on the floor. Her old back complaining fiercely, she stooped down to pick it up.

"Oh, good!" purred a voice. "You're awake, I see. Finally..."

The Soothsayer adjusted her spectacles, eyes widening.

In the darkness, she clearly made out a tall, lean figure, with the ears and red eyes of a cat. The figure was shrouded mostly in shadow, but his arms and lower half were visible in the torchlight, his hands folded, holding his hat before him.

"So," said the Soothsayer, narrowing her eyes once more and nervously stroking her beard. "You're Maddohatta."

A low laugh filled the hall. The figure placed the hat on his head and stepped fully into the torchlight. The Soothsayer took a step back when she saw the black and gold Japanese Samurai-styled body armor the demented panther now wore, with images of Chinese dragons on the plates at his shoulders.

"And you are Min Yun, most commonly and simply known as the Soothsayer of Gongmen City. Yes, I know all about you."

"I wish I could say the same; nothing usually escapes my sight, but you seem...special."

The cat in the hat chuckled.

"Perhaps, Soothsayer, you are looking too hard, and in all the wrong spots, for the answers you and your chick seek."

Min Yun glared.

"I must say," Maddohatta added, cocking his head to one side thoughtfully. "The drug my assistants gave you really kept you down, as if a door to the face wasn't enough...I'll need to punish them for that later. Are you well?"

"I am not afraid of you," the old goat said, quite honestly.

"I'm quite certain that you aren't," grinned the panther. "That just makes things more interesting."

"Why am I here? And what have you done to Lanying?"

"Shen's girl? She's perfectly fine...a few cuts and out for the count, yes, but she'll live. Unless of course the fire got to her, then the results would change...or if she bled to death...or if she wasn't unconscious after all when I gave her the cuts..."

"You're sick."

"Thank you for noticing. I'm also very hungry."

This got the Soothsayer's attention, if the tightness of her expression said anything.

"Oh, don't worry," Maddohatta said, raising a paw and speaking hastily. "I'm not going to eat you...too tough. Besides, killing you would utterly negate my reasons for taking you hostage in the first place."

"Shen and the masters won't give you any ransom," sniffed the Soothsayer. "You're wasting your time."

"Don't play the ignoramus with me, Min Yun," snarled the panther. "You know it isn't money I am after."

"Then answer my first question: why am I here?"

"Because both Sheng Li and the kitty-cat care about you. Like worms to the fishes, you, my dear Soothsayer, have been made bait. You know," he then began, switching on a dime, "I wonder if I should kill you at all...a fortune-teller would be an interesting amusement. Do you play cards? The Queen of Hearts is my best friend in a game..."

"Why do you have it out for my chick? And Kurisu?"

"Kurisu?" asked Maddohatta, grinning broadly. "Is that her name? How dear..."

"How do you know so much about us?"

Maddohatta frowned for but a second, then a smirk came to his face.

"You couldn't see it in your bowl?"

"My bowl only told me you were coming. It never said who you were, or anything else about you. You know things about Shen that no one but himself and a select few should know. Tell me, how did you come to learn so much about him?"

Maddohatta looked her up and down, hands behind his back, and then shrugged.

"Ah, well," he sighed to himself. "I'm going to kill you in the end anyway...why not say? Please, note, madam, that Sheng Li and I go back a very long way...in telling you what you want, I will practically have to recount my life story. No worries there?"

"Just tell me," snapped the goat, thumping her cane on the ground.

The mad cat laughed.

"Even faced with death, you're strict as a ruler!" cackled the panther, then, emotions switching fast, began his tale. "Ahem...a long, long time ago, a wee little lad was born in a wee little village. He had no parents, and grew up with his younger sister. As the lad got on in years, he encountered a great panther warlord – Giao Xun – who offered him and his little sister a place in his ranks. The lad quickly rose to becoming a great soldier. But the late, great Master Oogway had amassed an army of martial artists of his own. One particular soldier, by the name of Kade, not only stopped an attempt by Giao Xun to claim a certain sacred artifact, but led to the demise of this lad's sister. She was too young to be a soldier...her brother had warned her to stay behind. She wouldn't listen. The poor dear hid inside supply wagon. When the wagon was set ablaze, she could not get out in time. She was a mere, tender six years old."

Maddohatta paused. His wide grin hadn't faltered, making his story all the more disturbing.

"At that point, this little lad – who shall remain nameless, for he no longer exists – had a startling revelation: everyone believed Kade and Oogway to be of great virtue, yet they had caused the death of his little sister. His sister had never gotten the chance to live life to its fullest, to find all there was in the world, to have a purpose. His sister was raised by a murderer, her brother, who also held part of the blame for her own demise, just as much as the kooky old turtle did. His revelation was this: the presence of such random injustices, and the fact justice was so easily corrupted, could only mean that there was no such thing as justice. The fact that innocence was so easily destroyed could only mean there was no such thing as innocence. Life was so confusing...one might call it a riddle with no answer."

He chuckled darkly.

"Well, this little cat wasn't going to waste time with that: he remained with Giao Xun, though both he and his general never really could see eye-to-eye. Regardless, he soon rose in the ranks, and, barely a teenager, he was sent to spy on the Peacock Emperor and Empress of Gongmen City. Serving as a...well...servant, the kitten arrived a mere three days before a certain prediction was made about the soon to be prince of Gongmen..."

"Shen."

"Very good, Min Yun; I was there from the beginning. You were all too caught up in destiny's hands to ever notice me. I took great interest in Sheng Li; another tortured soul, who couldn't see life for what it truly was."

He smiled even wider. So wide, in fact, that the Soothsayer sank back nervously – a reaction she was thankful no one but this madman could see – at the sight of his many fangs, some of which, to her horror, were stained with spots of blood.

"So I HELPED him. When the Lady and Lord of Gongmen even considered seeing their son, this servant sent word of business that could not be avoided, and made all the necessary...er...arrangements to make sure the deed was not a falsehood. Whenever the wolf pup, Xun, had time for his parents, he would cause some mischief that would send the puppy's mama and baba away for a bit, forcing the dog to grow even closer with the already emotionally and mentally compromised young peacock..."

"So, in essence, you were another reason he went crazy," said the Soothsayer, in a voice that was the goat equivalent to a snarl; were she but ten or twenty years younger, she would have rammed this panther thoroughly with her horns.

"On the contrary; his surroundings did that to him. Madness, you see, is not all that hard a disease to get; all it takes is a bit of unwanted stimuli, a few REALLY bad days, and the cuckoo quickly comes to call. Sheng Li had more than enough of that, I just gave assistance as needed."

"And the line he spoke to the panda?"

"I'm getting there, Min Yun...really, you are headstrong. Says a lot, you know...ahem. Anyway, when Sheng Li was banished, I returned to my so-called 'master.' I managed to purloin a few of his early ideas prior to his expulsion, and used these to develop plans for my new weapons, such as the Dragon's Neck. Around this same time, I got my current name. Now, as Maddohatta, this wee little lad could now have all the fun he wanted! But there was still much work to be done: no sooner had my identity been formed, then Lord Shen returned to Gongmen. I never smiled so wide in my life..."

_I doubt that_, thought the Soothsayer dimly.

"When the tower of Sacred Flame was overtaken by our fine feathered fiend, I play-acted a servant there once more. As I'm sure you recall, servants were allowed to remain, as long as they sided with Shen. I remained as obscure as possible, doing the most grinding, menial labor I could...all the while keeping an eye on Shen's 'progress.'"

"So you were there to see him face Po."

"Indeed. When the cannons began shooting, I had already left the room and was on my way down the stairs. I got out before the tower even began to fall."

There was a pause.

"And...Kurisu?"

"Ah...the kitten. Well, you recall Kade? Giao Xun vowed revenge on all of Oogway and Shifu's students for the wrongs he felt had been committed against him. As his new chief assassin, I was sent with a group of panthers to destroy the village where Kade and his family were living. The kitten was the bloody cat's spawn...a daughter of no worth. I killed Kade, and the girl's precious grandmother, myself. Regrettably, the girl managed to escape."

He cackled.

"Now, however, I shall kill two birds with one stone...so to speak. Soon, the kitten will be gone forever, and Lord Shen will be MAD forever, and I will be a happy, _happy_ cat!"

"You said 'such as,'" said the Soothsayer hesitantly; the panther had paused, tail twitching, clearly wanting the old goat to say something. "When you spoke of weapons...the Dragon's Neck are not all?"

Maddohatta smiled, shoulders set, rising high and standing at full height.

"Imagine, Soothsayer, if you will: a great, black cannon, capable of launching a truly tremendous firework...a rocket, really...all the way from Gongmen to the Jade Palace at a speed so great the Valley of Peace would be obliterated before even old Grandmaster Shifu can zip away to safety, or the Furious Five mount an evacuation. The Dragon Warrior would be utterly helpless, his legendary aversion to stairs being his downfall as the firework slams into the Palace, sending burning debris onto the poor, doomed Valley below. Fire will engulf everything, and China will bow before Giao Xun."

"And what's in it for you? You've made it clear power is far from something you personally crave."

"Oh, power's all right...but the mere satisfaction of decimating China's finest warriors will truly be all the reward I need."

The panther chuckled, and turned away on his heal.

"When Shen gets here," he said, "I will kill him, either before the kitten or after. I have not yet decided which, but he will die. Be sure of that. And who knows? Maybe when I'm done, I'll let you live...for a good sixteen seconds."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Attack**

The old monastery outside Gongmen City, located on a high cliff overlooking the sea, had been abandoned for countless years; the monks who had once called it home were not of any Chinese religion, but powerful mystics. According to legend, they had left their home after two monks had gone rogue, claiming that the beliefs of their fellow mystics were pagan and crude, and tried to convert them to the growing religion. The other monks had refused, and the two rogue mystics had reportedly cast a debilitating spell on their former fellows, turning them into dust and scattering their heathen remains onto the winds. As punishment, the two misguided wizards were swallowed up by a Storm Dragon.

There were rumors among children that the ancient temple was haunted. No one would go near the place, save for the bold Lord and Lady of the city...

Certainly nobody but a madman would choose to take refuge there.

Hakkyo and Shita, Maddohatta's chief lieutenants, stood at the top of the temple, along with at least thirty men. Each of them was armed with a Dragon's Neck, but nothing else. The two twisted panther soldiers had managed to escape the destruction of the main factory, and had swiftly returned to their commander.

It wasn't like the five figures approaching could withstand such firepower anyway.

Sheng Li dashed ahead of the group, a halberd, not unlike his own from when he had tried to take over China, in one white feathered wing. His robes were practically stuffed with knives, so many he almost swore he could cut himself if he was too careless. His eyes were burning like crimson flames.

Behind him ran Xun, moving rapidly on all fours, and not far behind the Wolf Boss were Masters Storming Ox and Croc, Ox carrying a battle-axe, and Croc wielding a spiked bat. Kurisu took up the rear, panting quietly as the kitten tried to catch up with the older members of the group.

Hakkyo and Shita smiled behind their masks.

"Five against thirty. Odds are one to six."

"They are kung fu masters...most of them. The wolf and the cat aren't too bad, either."

"They will be no match," Hakkyo said dismissively, and turned to the men on his side, while Shita shrugged and turned to his own flank.

"Prepare to fire!" they chorused.

All the Dragon's Necks were raised, readied, and aimed in the general direction of the five.

Xun looked up at the thirty-two figures on the temple roof grimly.

"Get ready to move," he panted out.

"FIRE!" roared Hakkyo and Shita together, and thirty sparking, hissing, screaming blasts of bright firework shells flew at the oncoming interlopers.

All thirty-two sets of eyes watched, astonished, as at least twenty of these fireworks completely missed, and the other ten were quickly dodged by the nimble masters, kitten, and wolf.

To say that Hakkyo and Shita were not surprised (to say the least) would be a gross untruth. However, the two assassins had seen many strange sights in their time, and, being in the employ of a certified mad cat, quickly overcame their surprise, and ordered their troops to fire once again.

Each Dragon's Neck carried five fireworks that could be launched at the enemy. By the time the panthers had reached the fourth round, they had met no better success than with the first. None of the thirty-two had thought their five foes would get past the first firing round, so to say they had grown desperate would be unnecessary. On the final, fifth round, Hakkyo and Shita pulled out their own launchers, and as their thirty assistants emptied their weapons, the two head panthers fired all five of their ammunition shells at the approaching five. They kept focus mainly on the peacock, whose red eyes smoldered like coals, silently vowing to put an end to them.

Unfortunately (for the panthers), the final round proved useless. In a single, superhuman leap, Shen, Croc, and Storming Ox leapt up onto the roof, brandishing their weapons. The panthers retreated fast, unarmed, back into the monastery via a trapdoor on the roof. The three charged after them, Ox's battle-axe quickly removing the locked trapdoor from their path.

The soldiers in the monastery all raced down the halls, heading for their personal armory, set up on the bottom floor. The three masters were hot in pursuit, a knife already set and ready to throw in Sheng Li's free wing. Xun and Kurisu joined them soon after; not given the kung fu abilities of Shen and the other two masters, they had quickly managed to scale the wall of the monastery.

"Shen!" called Kurisu. "Hey, Shen!"

"Bird-brain, get back here! YOU ARE GOING THE WRONG WAY!"

_This _got the attention of all.

"Come again?"

"Maddohatta's cannon is on the bottom floor; we saw some other panthers readying it to fire now!"

"They tried to shoot us!" Kurisu added.

Shen gaped.

"Itty Bitty Kitty, you come with me," he rasped. "It's time to put an end to the Hatter's madness."

"Oh, yeah!" cheered Kurisu.

Ox and Croc looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"Xun, you, Storming Ox, and Croc will take care of Maddohatta's main force. Kurisu and I will take care of the rocket and find Nana."

Xun nodded, barked, and dashed down the hall. Masters Storming Ox and Croc gazed after him for a moment, then turned back to Shen.

"Be careful," growled Croc, simply.

They bowed, and ran after the wolf.

Shen smirked, mock-saluting them in return while their backs were turned, and turned to Kurisu.

"Come on," he said simply, and they ran back to the roof, and jumped the ground. Two panthers were trying to shut the heavy wooden doors of the old temple, while two more aimed a pair of Dragon's Necks at the peacock and the midnight blue kitten.

Two blasts of firework shots shrieked toward Shen and Kurisu. Both of them somersaulted over the blasts. In mid-somersault, Shen launched four feather-shaped blades, concealed in his fan-tail, at the panthers by the door. Each blade met its mark, and all four panthers fell. Shen glided over to the door, Kurisu following behind him, and the two entered.

The rocket launcher was even bigger than they had expected; three times as large as one of Shen's already immense firework cannons, the launcher dwarfed the peafowl and the blue kitten in size. It was black all over, shaped into a simple long, black barrel, on a swiveling base that allowed for better aim, the end of the cannon shaped into the image of a black cat's head, its grinning mouth opened up wide, a great black hole leading into the launchers depths.

The two watched as a pair of panthers set the rocket into position, pushing into the barrel of the gigantic cannon.

There were no other panthers visible.

"Shen!" called a voice.

The peacock and the kitten turned in surprise.

They gasped when the noticed the Soothsayer, locked in a large metal cage nearby; the cage had apparently been torn out of the floor, just so she could be seen, suspended from the ceiling by a thick iron chain.

And, hanging onto the chain with one paw, his feet firmly balanced on the swaying cage, black top hat perched jauntily upon his furry head, was Maddohatta himself, dressed in heavy black and gold Japanese armor. His cane was slung against his back by a belt, like a sword, while two Dragon's Necks and his treasured dagger were tucked in his belt.

"It's high time you arrived," he said, jumping down. "Now the fun can really begin!"

So saying, the deranged panther whipped out both Dragon's Necks and fired them at the kitten and the peacock, who both rolled out of the way to avoid the blast.

"Kitty!" hissed Shen. "Take care of the panthers by the cannon! I'll watch Maddohatta!"

"Gotcha!" said Kurisu, for once not hesitating at all, and dashed over to the launcher. The two panthers each took up a bo staff and rushed at her.

Maddohatta smirked as he and Shen glared at each other.

Elsewhere, Xun, Croc, and Storming Ox had finally caught up with Hakkyo, Shita, and the other thirty panthers in Maddohatta's force. The panthers had reached their armory, and had quickly set themselves up with knives, katanas, and nunchuks, while Hakkyo and Shita each carried dual sais.

"Get them!" roared Shita, and all thirty-two practically flung themselves at the three.

Storming Ox bellowed in rage and determination; his thick horns worked like a fast-set forklift, lifting up panthers from their bodies, tripping them up at the feet, or else catching them from their...ahem...unfortunate zones, and launching them skyward. Blades and chains clattered as the panthers were felled, not one by one, but at least two by two. Those who were fortunate enough (or perhaps less fortunate) to be caught by the Ox's horns were hacked away by the master's heavy battle-axe.

Croc snarled and snapped at the panthers, catching them in his jaws and slamming them into the ground, knocking them out cold with his spiked bat, and tripping them up deftly, or else bashing them across the face, with his tail and the spiked ball at its tip. The panthers did their best to avoid the reptilian master, but there were too many danger zones to be aware of, and not many could dodge the strikes from the crocodiles quick-paced attacks.

As for Xun, the one-eyed wolf got the dubious honor of dealing with Hakkyo and Shita themselves. The duo slashed and lunged with their twin sai, working in tandem; whenever one lunged at the wolf's gut, the other slashed at his neck. When one launched a kick to his knee, the other launched a similar kick to his...other knee. When one dodged to the left, the other moved to the right. A duck for one was a jump to the other. Xun growled, parrying their blows with a large steel hammer he had picked up, swinging it at them when he thought he saw an opportunity, only to have them jump away. It was like fighting a pair of mirrors. Unbeknownst to both parties, however, the wolf boss had the upper hand; the not-so-dynamic duo was tiring fast, and years of slaving away in a cannon factory and working as the head of Shen's wolf guards had given Xun far more conditioning. He could do this all day.

Back downstairs, Maddohatta laughed wildly, firing both Dragon's Necks once more, both aimed at Sheng Li's head. The peacock leaped into the air, and glided down in a swoop toward his foe, red eyes faintly glowing in the dark twilight. The panther fired one of them at Shen even as he plunged toward him, and, as Shen managed to move to the side in mid-air, and land away from him, he fired the other in his direction.

Three shots down on each, two to go.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Who Will Prevail?**

Shen launched a pair of blades at Maddohatta, who ducked fast, and spun away from Shen as the albino peafowl fanned out his tail to try and distract his foe, swinging his halberd at the same time. Maddohatta jumped back, cartwheeling away before landing back on his feet and firing the launcher in his left paw. Shen moved nimbly to the right, but got his tail feathers singed in the process by the shower of sparks. The right launcher now fired, and Shen dropped to the floor fast, to avoid all damages.

Down to his last shots, Maddohatta fired both Dragon's simultaneously once more, only to have his foe leap away at the last moment, sending sparks scattering across the temple floor.

Enraged, the demented panther flipped the weapons in his hand and flung them at Shen like boomerangs. They were all too easily dodged.

With a sneer, Maddohatta reached behind him. He clamped a paw on the dragon's head shaped top of his cane, and the jaws shut.

With a familiar, slithering, scraping sound of metal on wood, a katana-like blade slid from the cane's body. Maddohatta spun the sword once in his paw.

"No more distance strikes," he hissed. "Let's dance, my little turkey."

Shen said nothing, but only swung his halberd at his enemy with a slight flourish, only to have the move blocked by Maddohatta's sword.

Not far away, Kurisu, unarmed save her own retractable claws, ducked and jumped and rolled to avoid the attacks by the two panther assassins that had been arming the rocket launcher. Their staffs nearly caught her a few times; non-lethal they were, but they could easily be used as mere bludgeons once their victim was out for the count and unable to defend herself.

As luck would have it, it was the blue feline's "kitteny" traits that inevitably saved her: she had just rolled away from a strike from one staff, when something black and fuzzy waved in her face...

"ARGH!" one of the panthers cried out. "OUCH! SHE'S GOT MY _TAIL!"_

Indeed she had; the blue kitten had pounced upon the panther's tail, and had sunk her fangs deep into the black rope of fur and flesh. When the second panther moved to smack her away, the one being attacked by her turned at the same time to try and shake her off...

A staff connected with his face, and he fell to the floor. Kurisu growled (not really a very menacing sound, she later realized, but, what the heck, it was worth a shot) and tackled the second panther to the ground. Using a move Tigress had taught her, she slammed her fist into the panther's face and removed it from the field of "play."

Then the kitten turned her attention to the giant cannon.

"...Wow," she said after a second, and then jumped up, trying to climb up to the top and see if she could figure something out.

Upstairs, Hakkyo and Shita were still holding out against Xun...until his hammer came up in a fierce motion and he threw it as they tried to jump back. Working as a team the way they had, the thick, heavy steel head of the hammer slammed into both their skulls simultaneously, and the two lieutenants fell to the floor, sais skittering away from their grip, their scalps bleeding as they moaned softly in pain, unconscious.

Xun smiled proudly to himself and licked his lips to clean some blood (where Hakkyo's sai had nicked him on the cheek) away from his face.

Shen and Maddohatta dueled fiercely on the ground level, cane-sword slashing and stabbing at the red and white feathers, and blocking every move Shen made with his halberd. Every time the fan tail swept out, the self-styled Mad Hatter would either jump or duck the sweep, and no matter how hard Master Shen tried, the famous peacock-style way of distracting his foe could not seem to work. Shen once tried a tactic he had not used since his fight with Ox and Croc and Thundering Rhino, back when he was an insane warlord, to try and trip up his opponent...literally. A long, thick bullwhip lashed out from his burgundy sleeve, and wrapped itself around Maddohatta's ankle. The attempt worked, it seemed, for the panther fell to the ground with a thud. But, when Shen tried to leap upon the panther's chest and pin him down, the wily fiend slashed the bullwhip in pieces with the knife in his belt, and stood back up in a split second.

Now wielding his dagger in one hand, and his sword in the other, Maddohatta flourished his weapons, giggling madly as he circled his foe, who was crouched down in an equally predatory stance, his halberd in one wing, three knives held in the other.

Kurisu watched the two as they fought, her attempts to climb the cannon unsuccessful. Maddohatta glanced in her direction, smirked, and flung his dagger at the cannon...

Shen watched in horror as the knife slammed into the temple floor...and lit the long, thick fuse that hung from the launcher.

Kurisu gasped and tried to put it out with her paws...only to receive a deadly burn.

"There!" cackled Maddohatta. "That cannon's going off, and not even you're fast enough to stop it!"

"We won't need to!" came a voice, and out of the floor itself burst Storming Ox and Croc. Maddohatta yelped in surprise, falling to the floor. He clutched his precious hat, preventing it from falling from his head. Croc and Ox ran to the cannon...the fuse was slow-burning, but had already nearly reached the end...

The two masters punched at the cannon, and the swiveling base turned the cannon around...

Aiming it backwards, into the temple.

Kurisu let out a short cry, and ducked down. Shen and Maddohatta both gasped, and lay flat on the ground, the latter holding onto his top hat in a death grip. The Soothsayer, still hanging in a cage from the ceiling, stared, stunned silent.

**_SHHHOOOMMMMPPPHHHK!_**

The rocket tore through the stone and wood of the aged temple, flew into the sky, and exploded in a flash of red and yellow. A huge, gaping hole, almost like that of a doughnut, was left in its wake, running through the ceiling/floor of the center level, and the roof of the monastery.

Shen flung a blade at the Soothsayer's cage as the temple began to collapse around them. The chain snapped, and Croc caught it. He and Ox raced out of the temple. Upstairs, Xun had jumped clear of the rocket, and was already outside, barely conscious, lying in the dirt at the foot of the temple.

Maddohatta rose, watching the flaming debris around him.

Shen stared as the madman glanced back at him, his grin wide, eyes bloodshot and hopelessly mad, and sheathed his sword, as the panther sprinted away.

"I knew he was crazy, but _this?"_

"Kurisu, get out of here!" Shen snapped, and the blue kitten dashed off.

"Maddohatta, wait!" Shen called, and ran after the mad cat. He followed the assassin all the way to the roof (or what was left of it). The building was trembling dangerously at this point, bits of wood and decayed stone falling from Shen's foot falls.

"Hold it, you lunatic!" he yelled. "You can't get out of this one!"

"Quite to the contrary, Lord Shen!" Maddohatta countered, leaning against the side of the temple roof's railing. "After all, you, of all people, should know: there is always a way out!"

So saying, Maddohatta began to giggle. The giggle became a laugh, which grew louder, and _louder,_ and _LOUDER..._

As the roof area the panther stood on collapsed and dropped down.

Shen opened his beak to call out...something (in retrospect, he realized he didn't know what he had meant to say), but never got the time as his side of the building, too, quavered and fell. He leaped up, fanning out his feathers and gliding safely to the ground.

Silently, he watched – Xun on one side of him, Kurisu on the other, while Ox, Croc, and Min Yun stood behind them – as the ancient temple collapsed and fell from the cliff toward the sea.


	17. Chapter 17

Notes: This is the end of our story; I wanted to do so much more in it (a fight between Kurisu and Maddohatta, for example), but, perhaps if there is a sequel, or something, all that will find a place in it. This final chapter isn't long at all, but it is, obviously, VERY important. My thanks to Cryssy-miu and gothicorca1895, for use of their characters, and my thanks to , who is planning to create a series of "illustrations" for this story on her(?) DeviantArt account, and was very kind in reviews.

**Chapter 17: The Last Laugh?**

"Nothing?"

Master Croc sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry, Shen...our men have searched the beach and the ocean floor for all they could find. We found tons of rubble, a good many bodies, and even that launcher...but this is all we could find of our friend..."

The last word was spoken with the deepest, most bitter sarcasm as Croc held up a battered, seawater-soaked top hat.

Sheng Li stared at the top hat with an utterly unreadable expression, taking it out of the other master's clawed hands almost tenderly, wiping away some of the dampness with his sleeves.

"And his lieutenants?"

"Hakkyo and Shita? Xun hit them pretty hard...they were already half-dead when they hit the water. It's really a shame...them and all those assassins dead. Not that they didn't deserve it, but we had hoped to learn more about Giao Xun's role in this affair."

Shen nodded briefly.

"How is the kitten taking it?" asked Ox.

"Surprisingly well," Shen said. "Nana was able to get some information out of Maddohatta while he had her prisoner...we've both gotten some well deserved answers."

He paused.

"Of course, some does not equal all..."

Ox and Croc nodded.

"We're going to continue searching, Shen," Ox lowed. "We still have quite a mess to clean up..."

"Yeah," Croc snorted. "Between this, the Gongmen factory, and that inn, we really have our work cut out."

Shen chuckled.

"My apologies," he said shortly, and then added, "I shall be returning to the Valley of Peace in three days, after Lanying has fully healed; Dr. Ren says the injuries were not as serious as they at first seemed...and I feel have had enough of my ancestral home in this trip to last me a lifetime."

"Heaven be willing, we won't need to call you back," Ox chuckled.

"Goodbye, Master Shen," Croc said, and the two of them bowed. Shen returned the gesture, and the two larger masters walked off.

The Soothsayer was standing at the edge of the shore. Shen walked up beside her, the two of them staring off into the horizon.

The sun was just starting to rise.

"So," Shen began after a second. "He was a servant and/or spy, eh?"

"Yes. Quite so."

Shen sighed.

"That explains a lot."

The Soothsayer looked up at him with one eyebrow raised, stroking her beard with one hoof.

"I know that look," she said. "What are you thinking of?"

"Probably the same thing as you."

Min Yun sighed.

"I'm thinking," she admitted, "that nobody alive could have survived a fall like that...none of his men did. Not even the heads of his force. And since the temple fell with him..."

The Soothsayer trailed off.

Shen nodded.

"True," he agreed. "But I somehow think that if I could survive being crushed by a cannon, he could get out of this."

Min Yun blinked.

"Then, yes, Shen, we are on the same track...you don't think he's gone for good."

There was a short silence.

"...Do you?"

Shen let out a mirthless laugh.

"Oh, believe me, Nana," he said, looking down with burning eyes at the hat in his wings, "I would love to think so. I truly would. But...in what's left in my heart of hearts..."

Here the old goat and the peacock's eyes met. Both sets of eyes were grim and dark.

"...I sincerely..."

"Doubt it?" finished the Soothsayer.

Shen blinked.

"How do you do that?"

Min Yun shrugged.

"I told you before: I know everything."

Shen eyed her doubtfully.

The Soothsayer smirked.

"Well...almost."

The two looked at each other a moment longer, and then gazed off into the distance once again.

The dawn was rolling in, and a new day was ready to begin.


End file.
